Hand and Heart
by Aurinko
Summary: Minerva McGonagall has been Albus Dumbledore’s right hand for more than half a century. Voldemort cannot cut off the head of the Order, but how much damage could he do by cutting off a hand—or cutting out the heart? MUCH Severus Snape. COMPLETE!
1. Dangerous Discoveries

﻿ **Hand and Heart**

_by__ Aurinko

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_

_Summary: _Minerva McGonagall has been Albus Dumbledore's right hand for more than half a century. Voldemort cannot cut off the head of the Order, but how much damage could he do by cutting off the hand—or cutting out the heart? Including an unhealthy dose of Slytherins Severus Snape and Aberforth Dumbledore, as well as short appearances by Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and the rest of the Order. AD/MM, RL/NT implied.

_Rating: _PG-13

_Genre:_ Drama/Romance/Angst/Action

_Disclaimer: _Nope, not mine.

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_Chapter One: Dangerous Discoveries_

"Another whiskey, Abe!" the brown-haired wizard roared, waving his empty glass about wildly. Aberforth took no time in delivering another shot of Ogden's and helping himself to the man's remaining sickles. He would be surprised if the man was sober enough to even raise the glass to his lips. A small smile played upon his lips as he heard a soft crash and a loud curse behind him.

Back behind the bar counter, Aberforth glanced around the room dispassionately. At three in the morning, the only customers left were those too drunk to make it out. He would give them another half an hour to get themselves out of his bar, and then he would forcibly remove those remaining.

Twenty minutes later, all but one of his customers had gone home. A simple levitating charm dropped the drunken wizard in the centre of the street, and a few quick spells tidied up the room and closed the shutters. They would be arriving shortly.

A tiny 'pop' heralded the arrival of his brother, punctual as always.

"Albus."

"Aberforth." They stood together in silence. Aberforth took a moment to sneak an appraising glance at his brother—his brother, who had been on the run from the Ministry for a few weeks now. Physically, Albus was fine, but Aberforth could tell that the prolonged separation from his precious school was taking its toll. He seemed…tired. They were not trading terrible jokes or insults, and the usual air of mischief was missing. Order business had kept Albus from Hogwarts—and those inside the castle—for the last few days, and the result was the weary man before him.

A louder 'pop' this time, and Remus Lupin appeared in the room. "Hello, Aberforth," he said pleasantly. The young man looked up at Albus, and an expression of worry and distress flitted across his face. "Albus…" Lupin paused uncertainly.

"What is it?" Albus asked quickly. "Harry—"

"Harry's fine, Professor. It's Umbridge. She tried to remove Hagrid…he's all right," Lupin added quickly at the look on Albus's face. "But…" The young man broke off, looking up at Albus worriedly. A niggling unease settled over Aberforth, but he dared not put a name to the source.

"What happened?" Albus repeated in a low voice.

"One of the professors found out about Umbridge's plan. There were four Ministry Aurors trying to take down Hagrid when Minerva came running out…" Aberforth closed his eyes briefly. _Oh, Minerva, you fool girl… _"They didn't even have the courage to face her fairly!" Lupin choked, outraged. "The bastards shot at her—she didn't even have her wand out!" Suddenly recalling himself, Lupin paused. The odd look on Albus's face was obviously unfamiliar to the boy, but Aberforth _knew_. "Minerva took four stunners to the chest. She's at St. Mungo's now…She'll…she should be all right…" he finished hesitantly.

There was a dead silence in the room for a long moment, and then suddenly Albus _moved_. He snatched up the nearest barstool and flung it violently against the wall, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. Whirling around in a black fury, Albus moved to grab the next one, but Aberforth was faster. "Albus!" The air around them was crackling with a furious energy. Unable to reach another chair, Albus slammed his fist into the small table beside him, his hand breaking through two inches of solid wood. "_Albus_!" Aberforth shouted finally.

His brother snapped around, and Aberforth relaxed fractionally as a kind of wild sanity entered Albus's eyes. "St. Mungo's, Remus?" the wizard said softly, striding towards the fireplace.

"Albus!" Aberforth leapt forward to grab the man, grateful for the werewolf's strength as they held the wizard back. "You can't help her if you get caught," he reminded him loudly. "Minerva's a tough girl. She'll be all right." Feeling Albus's mad struggles slowing, Aberforth continued quickly. "And she'll be right angry with you, too, if she finds out that you risked capture to come and see her sick. You know she hates that. She's a tough girl, Albus. She'll be fine." Aberforth forcibly guided his brother into a chair and held him there.

"You can let go of me now, Aberforth," Albus told him scathingly.

Aberforth gave him a long look.

"I won't do anything stupid." Another hard look, and then Aberforth released his brother. Albus glared at him and Aberforth met his gaze squarely. Albus surrendered first. "I never should have left her there," he said quietly, staring at his hands.

"What would you have done? Taken her with you into hiding? Made her a criminal by association? One of you had to watch the students. You couldn't have known," Aberforth told him flatly.

"I knew that woman was insane." The tone of his voice left no doubt of which woman he spoke. "I should have eliminated her."

A sharp intake of breath from the forgotten younger man behind them drew their attention. They turned to him as one, only to find Remus Lupin gaping at them open-mouthed.

Aberforth chuckled. "In all your years at Hogwarts, you never noticed?"

Lupin blinked. "N…no…"

Albus glared at them both darkly. Lupin shook a little. _Another brave Gryffindor, _Aberforth thought dryly. _The poor, clueless boy.__ Can't believe that the great Professor Dumbledore would kill a woman._ Aloud, he said, "Albus has always been willing to do anything for the cause."

"Of course," Lupin replied hastily, glancing sideways at the named wizard.

_And when it comes to Minerva, Albus has always been willing to abandon the cause_, Aberforth added silently. The young man had discovered enough traumatic revelations for one day. "Go back and tell them that you've delivered the message. They're to keep a _covert _eye on Minerva, to ensure that no _accidents _happen to her. Keep the mutt in the house. I'll take care of Albus."

His brother glared at him, and Lupin hesitated. "Go, Remus," Albus ordered him wearily. "Thank you for coming."

Lupin straightened. "Yes, sir." He disapparated.

Albus let out a deep sigh and sank back into his chair, looking every one of his one hundred and fifty-five years. "Come on, Albus, let's get you to bed," Aberforth said gently. As he guided his brother upstairs and tucked him into bed, Aberforth reflected on the oddity of the situation. For the first time in fifty years, the two brothers had reversed roles, and though Aberforth found this rather alarming, he was also warmed by the thought of caring for Albus. Still, he knew full well that it was not his assistance his brother needed, as Albus's incoherent mutterings indicated. Even falling into a drugged, dreamless sleep, physically and emotionally exhausted, Albus's last thoughts were of her.

"_Minerva…_"

* * *

As the greatest wizard of the age surrendered to sleep upstairs, a dirty rat scrambled out from under the shards of the shattered barstool downstairs, shaking. The rat scampered out into the street, and then cut down an alleyway. A mangy cat, about to pounce upon dinner, yelped in shock as its intended meal transformed into an equally rat-like man and then suddenly disappeared. 

Peter Pettigrew had news for his master.

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A/N: So there's chapter one. They're turning out to be short chapters, don't know why. I wasn't sure if I should post this fic or not; it's not going the way I thought it would. Let me know what you think-if I ought to try chasing this strange little bunny down. 


	2. The Truth of the Matter

_Chapter Two: The Truth of the Matter_

A/N: Thanks to foci, LinZE, Quill of Minerva, Ginger Newts, am4ever, and Silver Sorceress for their reviews. I'll spend however much time I can steal trying to figure out what to do with this fic over the weekend. Till then, here's the next (fluffy) chapter. Oh, and if you have any suggestions, they'd be _greatly_ appreciated as I got sort of stuck.

* * *

He had never spoken to her; she had never seen his face. And yet, she knew that he had come. Every night, without fail. Despite the danger and the incredible risk, he had come. 

Why?

To watch her sleep. And to leave at her bedside, every morning, a single lemon drop.

To accomplish this one task, he had risked capture every night, and implicit in that capture, the fate of the Resistance. And yet still he had come. Every night, without fail.

It was enough to go to a girl's head.

_Enough_, Minerva thought firmly, and focused on taking one step, and then another, each bringing her closer and closer to home.

She had just reached the edge of the staircase when angry voices carried down to her. "I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir." _Potter_, Minerva thought worriedly.

"Put that wand away at once," another familiar voice said curtly. "Ten points from Gryff—"

Potter and Snape was never a good combination. Minerva began to walk faster.

"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hourglass to take away." _What? _"In that case, Potter, we will simply have to—"

"Add some more?" Minerva interjected smoothly.

"Professor McGonagall!" Severus exclaimed, striding forward. "Out of St. Mungo's, I see!" Though the students at his back missed his sharp analysis of her condition, Minerva did not.

"Yes, Professor Snape. I'm quite as good as new," she said clearly. _Diffuse the situation._ Minerva shrugged off her traveling cloak. "You two—Crabbe—Goyle—" She beckoned them forward, reigning in her impatience at their torpid, dim-witted manner. "Here," she said, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's, "Take these up to my office for me."

"Right then," Minerva said after the lumbering idiots had gone, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall, "well, I think Potter and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who! What say you, Professor Snape?"

"What?" Severus snapped. "Oh—well—I suppose…"

Minerva resisted the impulse to grin impishly. "So that's fifty each for Potter, the two Weasleys, Longbottom, and Miss Granger," she said, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hourglass as she spoke. _I thought that Miss Granger, at least, would have more sense…_ "Oh—and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose. Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr. Potter, I think, Professor Snape—so there we are…"

Turning to the boys, she said briskly, "Well, Potter, Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this."

Potter practically ran out the doors; Malfoy, deprived of his target, slinked back inside. Minerva shook her head.

As soon as the students were out of sight, Minerva found herself caught in a breath-stealing hug. "It's about time you came back," was all Severus said, and it was enough.

When he released her, Minerva was blinking rapidly. "Thank you for taking me to St. Mungo's," she said softly.

He started. "How did you—"

"Who else?" she replied fondly. The shy smile he gave her in return made her heart swell. Severus extended his arm, and Minerva soon found herself being led towards the castle.

"Gryffindor had _no _points left?"

"Your Gryffindors were rather poorly behaved in your absence," Severus replied levelly.

"One hundred and twenty-six points worth of misbehavior in ten days?" Minerva asked incredulously.

"They were _very _poorly behaved."

"Severus!"

The Slytherin shrugged elegantly. "About two days after you…left, the number of pranks suddenly tripled. Oddly, the majority of those were directed at Umbridge, and of course none of the staff felt capable of dealing with them." He paused as Minerva blinked furiously. "I'll never admit to saying this, but your little lions deserved some points for creativity alone." Minerva stumbled at his comment, and only Severus's quick reflexes kept her from falling on her face. "It would have given me the pleasure of taking away those points, too," he added caustically.

"Severus!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Minerva spluttered for a moment and then surrendered the point, laughing. "Oh, Severus…"

He indulged her with tales of the exploits of her young lions, his dry tone and scathing commentary giving her plenty of material to protest, and it was not long before Minerva found herself just outside the Headmaster's office.

"Ginger newts," Severus said clearly. Minerva swallowed as the stone gargoyle sprang back promptly. "Go on," he insisted, gesturing at the staircase. "Merlin knows the man's been driving us all crazy without you."

"Thank you, Severus," Minerva said, giving him a soft smile as she tucked some loose dark hair behind his ear.

He glared at her and ducked his head, turning on his heel to stalk off, muttering about "meddling mother-types" and denouncing women in general. Minerva, laughing gaily, moved up the staircase slowly.

She rapped smartly on the door, but strangely, no one answered. Puzzled, Minerva simply pushed open the door and stepped in, wondering where Albus had gone. Her ears caught a strangled sound; she whirled to face the desk and froze.

"Minerva," Albus breathed. He was on his feet and staring at her dazedly, drinking in the sight of her like winter sunlight.

"Hello, Albus," Minerva said warmly. An answering smile began to creep across his face as he moved towards her, only to freeze when he saw her walking stick. The lightning change that came over him was unlike any Minerva had ever seen.

Her green eyes widened in alarm as Albus suddenly appeared besideher, mere inches away, his hands frozen in the act of reaching out to her. "Minerva, I'm so sorry." The agonized guilt in his voice was painful for her to hear. "I never should have—"

"Albus." Blue eyes looked up at her: dimmed, dark shadows of the shining jewels she loved. "It wasn't your fault," she said gently.

"I—"

"No, Albus." Minerva closed the remaining distance between them, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek and force him to look her in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she repeated firmly, never breaking contact.

Albus closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. He sighed deeply, but when his eyes opened again, they were clear. Albus took her hand reverently and pressed a kiss to her wrist. "I'm so very glad that you're home."

Minerva smiled and kissed him lightly. "Someone needs to keep you in line, old man," she teased.

"As long as you're the one doing it," he replied, rising to his feet before helping Minerva to hers.

"Always, love." With a quick flick of his wand, Albus transfigured the armchair into a couch and gently guided Minerva into a seat. Though her mouth quirked at his overly-solicitous treatment, she said nothing. Albus carefully arranged himself around her and Minerva leaned back into him contentedly. His arms slid around to encircle her waist lightly, and Minerva laid her hands atop his. And so they sat together, the Headmaster and his Deputy, as comfort, strength, and a deep calm flowed between them on a level far deeper than words.

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A/N: Couldn't help myself (with the fluff). Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	3. On Stolen Time

_Chapter Three: On Stolen Time_

A/N: A cookie-chapter as an apology for not getting the next chapter out (hence the randomness). This chapter accounts for the missing three months (that I previously ignored). My beta's away (hence the poorer writing), so any and all errors are mine alone.

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"I need your help with Minerva," Albus Dumbledore said shortly, looking at the two women hopefully. 

Rolanda Hooch and Poppy Pomfrey exchanged a significant look.

"What did you do this time?" the flying professor asked accusingly. "The last time I tried to get you back in Minerva's good graces, she turned _every one _of my brooms bright _pink_!"

"No, no, nothing like that," the Headmaster assured them hastily. The two women observed the great wizard evenly, eyebrows raised. "I'm taking Minerva out to dinner tonight and I need you two to raid her closet while we're gone."

"_What?_"

With an eager, boyish smile, Albus Dumbledore explained his plan. "Don't forget now. Ten o'clock tonight, outside the Great Hall." He opened the door to Rolanda's office. "Thank you." He flashed them a last quick smile and then was gone.

Rolanda Hooch and Poppy Pomfrey, two of Minerva McGonagall's oldest friends, looked at each other and shrugged. Minerva had made her choice fifty years ago, and they still did not fully understand it.

* * *

"Thank you for dinner tonight, Albus. It was wonderful," Minerva said softly as they strolled slowly through the empty halls of Hogwarts. Albus had allowed her to forego use of her walking stick provided that she used him instead, an arrangement she was more than willing to agree to. 

He smiled softly, continuing at his slow pace as he led her back down the hallway. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's been a rough year for you."

"And for you," Minerva insisted.

"And for me," he agreed mildly. Instead of leading her back to their rooms, Albus stopped just outside the doors to the Great Hall. "I have something for you, Minerva."

She glanced up at him, startled. "But—"

Albus shook his head and held up a hand to silence her. "Close your eyes."

Frowning slightly, Minerva obeyed, missing the delighted little smile on Albus's face. "Trust me," he whispered. One of his arms came up around her waist, and then Minerva felt the familiar tug of a portkey.

Minerva swayed dangerously on her feet and clung desperately to Albus, eyes still closed. She _hated _portkeys. "Albus?"

"One moment, darling." His arm left her waist and she felt him move away. Minerva heard the rustle of cloth and the squeak of a door.

"Albus?"

"This way," he replied enigmatically. A gentle hand on her arm led her away. "Watch your step." Minerva stepped down carefully, mind whirling as her feet sank slightly into the ground. The night air was crisp and cool, and a salty tang carried on the wind. She could hear the soft crashing of waves before her. _He didn't…_

"Albus?"

"All right, love, open your eyes."

A short silence fell as Minerva observed the scene in shock. "Albus, you didn't…" she breathed.

He smiled again. "Welcome home, darling."

Minerva turned to him, green eyes alight. "Oh, Albus..."

They were home. This was their secret place, a little cottage in the south of France where they could hide away from the world and be simply Albus and Minerva and nothing more. It was all they needed, all they wanted—and all they never had time for.

Minerva looked up into the starry night sky. At Orion's feet, the star Sirius shone brightly, much as the man had done during his life. Minerva swallowed, blinking away tears.

"It's all right, Minerva," Albus whispered softly, his arms encircling her comfortingly. She leaned back into his embrace gratefully. Looking up again, Sirius shining down on her, Minerva made her decision. In her heart, she made a silent promise to the two boys who had never truly grown up—to the one gone and, more importantly, to the one beside her. For once in their lives, they would come first. "Dance with me," she demanded abruptly.

Albus smiled warmly, eyes twinkling in approval of her decision. A wave of his hand and the soft strains of a very familiar waltz began to echo across the sands. Albus offered Minerva his hand as his other reached around to rest behind the small of her back. Her hand slid upward and toyed idly with his hair as they began to move in time to the music. Minerva was not surprised when she found herself suddenly floating a few inches above the ground. Her injuries should have precluded her participation in one of her favorite activities, but Albus would have shifted the stars for her had she but wished it.

"Forever and always," he whispered. "Happy Anniversary, my love."

"Happy Anniversary, Albus."

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me how you planned this?" Minerva asked him the next morning, laughing inwardly as he prepared breakfast the Muggle way with a boyish enthusiasm. 

"That would ruin the surprise," he replied, grinning.

She rolled her eyes. "It's no longer a surprise, Albus."

He paused, brows furrowed deeply. "I guess you're right," he said, flashing her a sudden smile. "All right, then, I'll tell you."

"I thought that we could use a break, and so I arranged for us to come here for the month. Poppy and Rolanda packed your clothes; we can owl them if you need anything else. Everything's been taken care of."

Minerva had lost him after the first sentence. "You did _what_?"

"I took off a month," Albus replied evenly, eyes dancing, a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "And I gave you off for a month."

"_Why_?" Minerva was gaping at him.

"Because it's our fiftieth anniversary this month, and when I married you, I promised that you would come first, always. Do you remember?" he asked seriously.

Minerva ran right over him. "Yes, but Albus, the Order—"

"Will be just fine without me," he interrupted firmly. "I've left Kingsley in charge of the day-to-day business. Aberforth is handling Severus. If there are any conflicts, he'll handle it. They're not to disturb us unless Hogwarts crumbles into dust while we're gone."

"Albus—"

"No, Minerva. You come first, darling. Forever and always, always and forever. Do you remember?"

"Yes, of course—"

"Then it's settled." Sensing her protest, he caught her hands and forced her to look up at him. "Let's just take this month, Minerva. One month. On our fiftieth anniversary, the anniversary of the best day of my life. You come first, my love, always. You need this; I need this. We've devoted our entire lives to saving the world. This is our time." She looked up at him sadly, and he shook his head slightly. "I won't deny that it's stolen time, but it's been stolen for you," Albus added, opening his hands as if to offer it to her in a ridiculously grandiose. "This is our life," he said, suddenly serious. "Stay with me."

Minerva closed her eyes and stood still for a long moment. Neither breathed in that space and both laughed simultaneously when they looked at each other. "You know me too well," she said finally, looking up with him with a slight smile.

His delighted grin told her that he had already known her answer—in truth, had probably known what it would be while he planned this—but she told him anyway. "One month sounds wonderful, Albus."

Albus kissed Minerva deeply just as she finished her sentence. "Wonderful," he whispered, before closing the distance between them again.

"Wonderful," she agreed breathlessly, some time later.

* * *

"Gone? What do you mean, they're _gone_?" the shadowed figure roared. 

The rat-man cringed fearfully. "I mean, they've just…just disappeared, my Lord. We can't find them anywhere and nobody seems to know where they've gone."

"Imbecile," the tall blonde man beside the figure said coldly. "How hard is it for a rat to keep track of _two professors _in _one building_?"

The figure's red eyes narrowed into harsh slits as he observed the cowering creature before him. "You have failed me, Wormtail," he declared coolly. "I am displeased." The rat-man called Wormtail nodded dumbly, trembling violently. "Luckily for you, however, I know that they will return."

"My Lord?" the blonde questioned.

The figure's answering smile was vicious. "Minerva would never miss school. We shall see them again, I suspect, in September."

Wormtail let out a small sigh, attracting the figure's attention to him again. "Still, you _did _fail me, and you know I never let that go unpunished." It was perhaps for the best that Wormtail took in a sharp breath at his master's words; the agonized screaming that followed allowed for no others.

"September," the Dark Lord hissed through clenched teeth. "_September_."

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A/N: Reviews are always appreciated as encouragement and inspiration for this writer, who is currently struggling with the long, convoluted thing she hopes will become chapter eight. 


	4. Six Days

﻿ ﻿﻿_Chapter Four: Six Days_

A/N: My most sincere thanks to Angeldust-aka-Evilwoman, miss mcGonagle, bigkihap, am4ever, Leta, Brighid, Quill of Minerva, Ginger Newts, Silver Sorceress and LinZE for their reviews. You guys make writing rewarding.

I have always thought that Severus and Minerva are closer than portrayed in canon; they argue far too much and have known each other far too long for anything else. I have also always seen Albus (speeches, anyone?) as a tad bit of a dramatist, and have enjoyed using that to my advantage. Severus, too, has a bit of that flair (the robes?).

Apologies in advance if the flashback-within-a-flashback is confusing; Quill of Minerva and Brighid's reviews sparked it.

* * *

_September 20th._

_Six days._

It had been six days since she had been taken, and for six days he had watched in growing dismay as their defenses crumbled around them.

They all missed her—even his snakes were worried, though they would never admit it. But she had always been fair, even back when he had been a student, taking points from Gryffindor just as fast as she did from Slytherin and rewarding excellence wherever she found it. And in doing so, she had won the Slytherins' universal, if grudging, respect.

Points, however, were the least of their problems now. If Severus didn't suddenly become a miracle-worker, they were doomed. Even the Potter brat knew it.

Albus Dumbledore had simply ceased to function, and the Resistance was disintegrating.

Oh yes, the Dark Lord had known exactly what he had done in kidnapping Minerva McGonagall.

Severus recalled the scene at Grimmauld Place with a visible wince.

**_flashback_**

They had all gathered together for the first time in decades, missing only two of the twelve that formed the core of the Order of the Phoenix. Grimmauld Place was still the Order's headquarters, now owned by a more subdued Harry Potter. The children were upstairs, no doubt trying to listen in on the adults' conversation with more of the Weasley twins' confounded contraptions. The pranksters themselves were seated at the table, looking more serious than Severus had ever seen them.

They were all there: Molly, Arthur, William, the twins, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Lupin, Moody—even Aberforth, who had not attended an Order gathering since the seventies. Of course, they had not had a topic this devastating to discuss since the return of the creature calling himself Voldemort. Tonight, they were there to talk about their esteemed leader. Their leader, who had quite literally ceased to function the moment Minerva McGonagall's kidnapping had been confirmed.

The accompanying ransom note, if Voldemort's demands could indeed be called a "ransom," probably helped account for Albus's state.

Severus slammed the offending parchment down on the table violently.

"I hereby commence this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

"What gives you the authority to lead?" Shacklebolt snapped.

Severus sneered at the Auror. "I am Minerva McGonagall's second. As both she and Dumbledore are currently…incapacitated, I am now the official leader of this Order." He watched as Shacklebolt read the acceptance on the faces of the senior Order members, shocked speechless.

"Let it be, Kingsley. We have bigger problems to deal with tonight," Arthur said wearily.

Sending Severus a half-hearted glare, the Auror returned to his seat.

The Slytherin continued as if the interruption had never occurred. "As you all know, Minerva was kidnapped three days ago. Our attempts to locate her have failed miserably. Albus received this note yesterday."

Aberforth, seated on Severus's left, rose to pick up the parchment. "Dumbledore," he began tonelessly, "you really should take better care of your things, old man. Quite careless of you, really, to leave this one lying about where just anyone could pick her up. Since you don't seem to care too much about her welfare, I've taken the liberty of relieving you of her." The younger Dumbledore brother paused momentarily. Severus watched as the hand that held the parchment shook a little; the other formed a tight, angry fist. "Wormtail here—" Aberforth was interrupted by a growl from Lupin. "Wormtail here has gotten the ridiculous notion that you actually _give a damn_ about someone, Dumbledore! I beg to differ, but I feel that I must give you the chance to speak your case. Should you care to prove me wrong, deliver the Potter boy to me at my manor by midnight You have seven days, Dumbledore. One of them, the woman or the boy, will die. I leave the choice to you.

"Yours sincerely, Lord Voldemort." Aberforth glanced up from the parchment. "He's added a postscript," he said wearily, before proceeding to read the rest. "Oh, and Dumbledore? One more thing I forgot to mention. Should you somehow get the idea that this trade is unfair and attempt to change the stakes, I would be forced to undertake drastic measures, I'm afraid.

"If you attempt to find your precious Minerva, I will kill her. If you, in your desperation, tell anyone about this, I will kill her. In other words, if you do anything other than follow my instructions explicitly, I will kill her. In the meantime, I will enjoy finding out _exactly_ what has so fascinated you about this woman. I confess that I cannot see it at the moment, but I have seven days, after all, to learn_ everything_. Cheers!" Aberforth spat the last line, now radiating a cold fury.

Molly looked close to tears; Arthur held her comfortingly, though clearly horrified. The youngest of the Order, Tonks and the twins, had yet to get past their shock. William, Shacklebolt, and Lupin were sickened, though not as surprised.

Severus's face could have been carved from stone.

Molly, of course, commented on it. "Severus! How can you be so cold?" she asked harshly.

"I am what I must be, Molly," Severus replied impassively. "Now, if you all would pull yourselves together, we have some decisions to make." Some of them glared at Severus, apparently insulted; he didn't care. "Minerva is likely at Riddle or Malfoy Manor, though I do not know which."

"Well, why don't you_ find out_?"

Severus observed Shacklebolt disdainfully. "Any inquires I make as to Minerva's whereabouts will immediately be taken as investigations on Albus's behalf, thereby condemning her to death."

"Surely You-Know-Who wouldn't just kill her!" Molly exclaimed. Severus raised an eyebrow. "I mean, isn't she more valuable as a hostage?" she continued hesitantly.

Severus shook his head wearily. "Yes and no, Molly. I'm not sure how much the Dark Lord knows. He's insinuated that he knows Minerva is the one weakness in Albus's armor, but he's not absolutely certain of that."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"The note," Severus replied. "If he was absolutely certain of Albus's compliance, then he wouldn't have bothered mocking him or giving him a week to 'decide.' The Dark Lord is avaricious—he would have asked for everything he thought he could get. The fact that he only asked for Potter's life—"

"What do you mean,_ 'only Potter's life'_?" Lupin snarled.

Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the Gryffindors' idiocy.

Aberforth, the only other Slytherin in the room, saved him the trouble. "If Voldemort—" Aberforth _did_ roll his eyes at their collective gasp; Severus smirked. "If Voldemort had known the truth, he would have demanded the immediate surrender of Hogwarts, not Harry Potter."

Eight of the twelve core members of the secret organization devoted to saving the world gaped at Aberforth._ "What_?_"_ Tonks burst out.

Severus and Aberforth exchanged a look _Because that, Albus would have given him, you idiots._ "You explain," Severus said curtly, gesturing at the stunned table.

Aberforth shrugged. "You were informed at the beginning of the summer of the prophecy involving Potter and Riddle. Albus knows it's pointless to surrender Potter to Voldemort; Minerva would die anyway."

"He wouldn't keep the deal?" one of the twins asked.

"Who, Riddle?" The other twin nodded. "No, he would. Minerva would be released, but without Potter, who would be around to stop Riddle? Albus knows that she would stay to fight and probably get herself killed. Giving up Potter would be pointless."

They were still staring at Aberforth, unable to believe that a man could talk so callously about his brother, his brother's second (and wife, though they didn't know that), and the young savior of the wizarding world—well, the damn-well-better-be-the-savior. Severus refused to think that he had put up with that idiot Gryffindor for five years to no purport.

Looking back out at the eight incredulous faces around him, Severus recalled a conversation with Minerva over tea in her office long ago.

_**flashback**_

"Why is it that you Gryffindors seem totally incapable of thinking rationally when your _'feelings'_ are involved?" Severus snapped at Minerva after yet another Gryffindor first-year had shouted at him in detention and then promptly burst into tears.

The infuriating woman had burst out laughing when he had finished the tale.

"It's not funny! You Gryffindors need to learn to compartmentalize!"

"Severus, our emotions are our emotions; they're part of who we are."

"Your emotions could very likely get you killed!"

Minerva sobered. "When the situation calls for it, I can 'compartmentalize' my emotions, as you say."

"Usually, yes, you can. But not always!" Severus stood and paced across the carpet furiously. "Aside from the fact that I find it highly annoying, it's a bloody dangerous habit!"

"Severus!"

"Admit it!" He pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You get overly emotional, and then you get distraught and you can't think straight, and if that happened on the battlefield, it could get you killed."

"It could also save a life." Severus glanced up at her, incredulous. "Yes, Severus. It did exactly that, as a matter of fact, in another war much like this one…oh, fifty years ago or so."

**_end flashback_**

It was on that day, many years ago, that he had discovered that the Headmaster and his Deputy were far more than they seemed, both separately and together. Minerva's story had been fantastic, but the proof had been there, and Albus had independently corroborated her words later, actually correcting the parts where Minerva had apparently downplayed her role.

It had become a favorite point of contestation over the years, whether being an "overly-emotional Gryffindor" was an advantage of disadvantage.

For the first time in his life, however, Severus desperately hated being right. If things didn't improve quickly, they would lose this war because of two overly-emotional Gryffindors. He squashed the traitorous little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Minerva. Severus Snape was _never_ overly-emotional, and certainly not over the kidnapping of one Gryffindor and the collapse of another. The mere thought was ridiculous.

Unbidden, Minerva's laugher rang out in his mind, bright and warm, and Severus gasped for breath, feeling suddenly as though he had been blindsided by a bludger.

_

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A/N: I hope that this chapter addressed everyone's questions. Thank you again for your wonderful reviews; I really do appreciate them. Please drop by with any comments, suggestions, etc. that you might have!

I love four-day weekends! This is the fastest I've ever updated _anything. _

I'd like to thank my friend Florence for kindly telling me to "cut to the chase" with this story when I asked her advice, though she doesn't read fanfiction. Sorry about the long A/N.


	5. The Dilemma

﻿ ﻿_Chapter Five: The Dilemma_

A/N: Bigkihap, I've gotten rid of the italics for you, so hopefully this will be easier to read (it was getting distracting for me to write!). Sorry this took so long to post! FYI, they're at Grimmauld Place, and Severus is still having a flashback to three days ago.

Bigkihap and Lizella: Thanks for telling me about Shacklebolt. My apologies for schizophrenic!Shacklebolt; I really didn't know that Kingsley Shacklebolt was one person, so if I did characterization right, he should've been _very _schizophrenic. I only read OotP once, when it came out, and dislike Harry and Sirius dying so much that I never read it again. Will do so.

Thank you to all the nice people who took the time to review; you make my day!

Many, many, many thanks to my wonderful beta FlyingAuk, who has fixed so many plot issues, grammatical mistakes, and general idiocy it makes my head spin. She is the reason that I'm up at 11:27 PM posting this chapter, because after all she did for me, it's the least I can do, even if it means I end up doing biology homework into the early hours of the morning…

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"You see the dilemma, then?" Aberforth asked. Their blank looks indicated otherwise: at the far end of the table, both twins had their heads cocked to the side and eyebrows raised comically. 

Severus resisted the urge to growl, to get up and shake them until their teeth rattled. "Here, I'll spell it out for you in terms that you_ Gryffindors _can understand," he spat angrily, feeling a sort of vicious satisfaction when the boys flinched instinctively. "We need to rescue Minerva, and we need to do it_ soon. _We've got four days. We've got one shot at this, because if we fail on the first attempt or the Death Eaters get wind of what we're planning, they'll kill her without hesitation. _Do you understand?"_

The puzzled looks continued. Severus's jaw tightened painfully.

"What about Dumbledore?" William asked.

"Albus is not a consideration," Severus replied curtly.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, genuinely confused. Seated next to him, Molly looked even more lost than her husband. Her eyes had been glazed over since Aberforth's reading, and Severus had little doubt that the woman would walk into walls if she left the house without direction. The werewolf, interestingly enough, had remained silent and looked quite pale.

"He does not know about this meeting, nor will he find out about this until it's over."_ And that's only if we win_, Severus added silently.

"Why?"

Severus glared at Tonks, who wilted after a few seconds. "Be charitable, Severus," Aberforth rebuked him lightly. "They don't know as much as you do." The younger man relaxed slightly, taking the words in both contexts as intended.

"Then you fill them in," he said shortly.

Aberforth nodded genially, looked around the table, and then sighed deeply. "As Voldemort intended, this is very hard for Albus. He cannot, and will not, surrender Potter, though I have no doubt that the notion plagues his every thought." _Close your mouths, _Severus snapped mentally. _Are all Gryffindors equally imbecilic? _"He will do nothing to risk Minerva's safety."

"He's just going to _sit_ there?" Tonks squeaked.

"The Dark Lord has spies at Hogwarts." She looked at him, nonplussed. "_Other_ spies, you idiot!" Severus snapped, exasperated.

"Severus!" It was Molly, but the tone was so classically Minerva in its indignation that Severus paused as something hard and tight in his chest clenched painfully.

Severus took a deep breath, suddenly furious with himself. "As I was saying," he continued tightly, "the Dark Lord has _other_ spies at Hogwarts, and those spies are watching Albus _very_ closely. For the main part, he has confined himself to his rooms these last few days, coming out only for meals. If he leaves Hogwarts, however, his absence will be noted, and likely taken the wrong way."

"Polyjuice," Lupin suggested neutrally.

"That is a possibility," Severus admitted, "but I'm not certain that we _want _him with us on this mission."

"What are you talking about?"

"Albus is…Minerva is very important to him." Aberforth stumbled trying to find the words. The three Aurors at the table were staring at the barkeeper as if he'd had one too many shots.

Severus solved the problem for him. "This is a bit _too _personal for him. Our primary objective is to rescue Minerva, of course, but _our_ other objective is to get ourselves out of there alive. Albus does not have any such consideration. For that reason alone, he is too dangerous to take with us."

Arthur nodded slowly. "All right, Severus."

"I still think he should come with us," Shacklebolt disagreed, shaking his head. "Even in the worst case scenario, he'd be useful in getting us out of there." He turned to look at Tonks questioningly.

"I'm with Shacklebolt," Tonks said hesitantly. "Dumbledore would be a great asset to any mission, and I don't think that he'll be too happy that we went off without him."

"If this works, then Minerva will save us from his wrath. If this doesn't work, then we're all doomed anyway, so what's the difference?" Severus quipped. "And we have his _tacit_ agreement to do this."

"I thought you didn't tell him about this meeting," George said.

"I didn't. But I _did_ copy this note from his desk—no, not while he was watching!—but Albus knows that I have read it."

"And he knew that you would do this," Fred stated.

"Yes."

"I still think—"

"That we should take the great Albus Dumbledore with us, to cover our retreat if nothing else?"

Tonks nodded.

"No," Severus said flatly.

"Why not?" At some point in this series of small shocks, Tonks' appearance had reverted back to its natural state, and her dark eyes held a frustrated, stubborn glint.

The two Slytherins exchanged a long look.

"No," Aberforth seconded, equally emphatic.

"_Why?_"

Severus hesitated. "Absolutely not," Aberforth snapped, but he was looking at Severus, not Tonks. Legilimency did not always require a spell, especially between two willing and skilled participants.

_Don't you dare, Snape!_

_Why not? _He _already knows most of it anyway._

_You will not. _The old man's voice thundered in Severus's head, power and anger giving it enough overtones of his brother that Severus weakened.

_Dammit, Aberforth, they need to know!_

_That's not your decision to make. _Severus glared at the seemingly-placid old man.

_Damn you, Dumbledore. You're going to have to tell them something._

_Why?_

_They're not just going to bloody "take my word for it!"_

_You're the First of the Order. They don't have to take your word for it; they just have to do it._

Severus shook his head and turned to face the table again. Gryffindors should leave the possession of secrets to the Slytherins; they caused fewer problems. "Enough discussion. Albus Dumbledore is not coming with us." Shacklebolt's face darkened. Severus met his gaze squarely, black eyes hard. "Drop by Hogwarts some time. If _you _want Dumbledore at your back, take him on one of your missions, not mine."

Tonks's dark eyes were flashing daggers at him. "Enough. We haven't got time for stupidity. Here's the plan…"

All argument ceased as everyone listened grimly while Severus outlined his plan. It was bold, risky, and incredibly brave—the antithesis of all things Slytherin—but they were there to rescue a Gryffindor, after all. And although Severus hated clichés, desperate times called for desperate measures.

After he was certain that everyone was clear on their roles, and that no mention of this meeting was to be made _anywhere_, Severus summarily dismissed everyone—except Aberforth.

_Why didn't you let me tell them? _he raged as the other Order members slowly left the table.

_It's Albus's secret, not mine, _Aberforth returned firmly, leaning back in his chair and calmly eyeing Severus.

_It's _our _lives! _The old man's face remained impassive. _Dammit, Aberforth, they deserve to know!_

_No, they don't. _Severus could feel Aberforth's disapproval; the old man hadn't approved of Minerva telling _him _in the first place.

_They're not taking this seriously enough!_

_Telling them won't change anything, Severus. These are Gryffindors, not Slytherins. They care more for Minerva as a friend, a teacher…as a sister. _Severus did not miss that last, faint thought. _It will not matter to them._

_Are you mad? Of course it would matter to them. They want to win this damned war just as much as we do. Tonks and the twins, at least, would have taken this _far_ more seriously if they knew that this could mean the end of the war._

_No, Severus—_

_No? If we lose Minerva, we will lose Albus._

_Albus would not abandon Minerva's cause._

_It wouldn't matter. Your ridiculously romantic brother bound his magic to her, remember? If Minerva dies, all of Albus's magic goes with her._

_Then this had better work._

_Damn you, Dumbledore. _

_

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_A/N: So, what'd you think? Again, sorry for taking so long to post. Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	6. One Weekend in Hogsmeade

﻿ _Chapter Six: One Weekend in Hogsmeade _

A/N: Many thanks to bigkihap, Quill of Minerva, mon, Lizella, Beornthryth, and Lady Urquentha for their reviews (esp. the "novel" reviews, which are greatly enjoyed)! I have fixed the schizophrenic!Shacklebolt in the previous chapters, thanks for the heads-up.

Thanks to my friend Geca for quick beta-ing this chapter after my beta told me to fix stuff.

And, of course, a salute to my beta, FlyingAuk, who is thankfully a better writer than I am and will hopefully write a story soon (no pressure...:grins:). She hasn't seen all of this chapter, so any errors are all mine.

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Again Minerva woke to darkness and despair. She had failed. 

After all these years and despite all her precautions, she had failed. Somehow, somewhere, someone had found out the truth. She had been captured, and she would be used against Albus.

_Albus. _The thought was bittersweet. _Oh, Albus. I'm so sorry. I tried…_

**_flashback_**

**_Saturday, September 14_**

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and Minerva had flatly forbidden Albus from accompanying her into town. She wanted to get some shopping done and knew that bringing him along was tantamount to disaster. After all, her destination this afternoon was Honeydukes, and Albus Dumbledore in a candy store was worse than a hundred nifflers loose in Gringott's. Besides, there was something special that Minerva wanted to get for Albus, and she could not have him tagging along with her while she bought it.

Minerva smiled slightly and stepped out into the crisp September air, waving goodbye to Rosmerta as she did so. The children had another two hours to run around Hogsmeade, which gave her plenty of time to make a quick run by Honeydukes. Maybe she'd even pick up some candy for Severus; Merlin knew the man needed more sweetness in his life. _It's too bad that Honeydukes doesn't sell temperament sweeteners_, Minerva thought. _He's been in an exceptionally foul mood ever since he realized that Granger, Potter_ and _Weasley were on the roster for his NEWT Potions class. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry with Albus before. _Severus had practically been spitting fire at the Headmaster's decision to override his admissions policy. Minerva's suggestion that he separate the "Trio" and continue as usual only calmed him slightly.

"Well, then, I suppose I'll just have to wait for Potter and Weasley to fail out. Those two dunderheads haven't a chance without Granger's perpetual 'assistance,'" Severus sneered. Then, bidding the two of them a curt goodbye, Severus stormed out of Albus's office, muttering angrily. Albus and Minerva had exchanged a long look, and then bent over the professors' yearly budget requests without another word.

It was one of the many idiosyncrasies of their relationship, this communication without words. Strangers had often remarked upon it, only to have one of them—usually Albus—break into laughter. "I think fifty years is long enough to learn what someone likes for breakfast," he told Madame Bones flippantly before proceeding to order for Minerva, who had been chatting with Poppy about the latest developments in medicinal transfigurations. To Minerva, the comfortable, _natural_ silences that arose between them even at the beginning of their relationship had always been strangely significant. It was level of understanding that she had never had with anyone else.

Minerva walked in and out of Honeydukes in thirty minutes. She bought her little gift for Albus with minimal difficulties, as well as another tin of ginger newts for her desk, and after some consideration, a box of dark brandied chocolates for Severus, who complained that the milk chocolate confections favored by the students were "sickeningly sweet indications of poor taste." Inordinately pleased by her choices and musing about next week's lesson plans, Minerva failed to notice the two cloaked men trailing her from behind.

By the time she had returned to the center square, however, something odd and uncomfortable was beginning to prick at the edge of her consciousness. Minerva fingered her wand and surveyed the crowd.

It was the typical Saturday mix of haggard mothers with children clinging at their heels, husbands with their wives, and small groups of friends—women with their girlfriends, men with their boys' clubs—clustered about the square. Minerva smiled softly at the sight of a pair of young lovers strolling through, blissfully lost in their own world. Interspersed between the adults were dozens of Hogwarts children, nibbling happily on Honeydukes treats and chatting animatedly about one subject or another. Minerva smiled and nodded towards the handful of waves and greetings sent her way. The weather was glorious for the first time this month, and Hogsmeade had turned out in force.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Minerva chastised herself for her skittishness and turned to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. Moments later, all hell broke loose.

Someone with a flair for the dramatic shouted out "_Morsmordre__!" _in a booming voice undoubtedly amplified by another spell. The appearance of the Dark Mark in the sky caused screams of fear to break out all across the square.

Minerva cast her first spell before she had even fully comprehended the situation, and a masked Death Eater went down with a cry. Then the battle began in earnest.

The milling chaos of the crowd was a serious disadvantage for the Order members and Aurors in the vicinity. They were forced back as the Death Eaters used their hesitation to risk the lives of the innocents to their advantage. Voldemort's cronies had no such considerations, and Minerva cried out inwardly every time she saw a green light flash at the edge of her vision.

Frustrated beyond belief by her inability to return fire, Minerva suddenly transformed and dashed through the panicked stampede toward the abandoned center of the square. As soon as she thought she had enough room, she transformed again, firing off a stunner just as she reached full height. She realized her mistake almost immediately. There were four Death Eaters standing nearby, and the rest of her support was still trapped by the crowd.

"_Stupefy!_"

Four stunners arched toward her, angry-red streaks burning into her mind. Minerva was trapped, frozen in terror as she watched them in stupefied horror. She could feel them striking her, burning across her chest and flinging her off the ground…

**_NO!_**

The sharp cry cut through her terror like a knife, startling her into action. At the last second, Minerva threw herself to the side with a wrench, barely dodging the blasts in time. Righting herself quickly, she returned the spell. "_Stupefy!_"

Anger and adrenaline roiled in her stomach; irritation flared when her Death Eater target managed to erect a shield in time to deflect her spell. "_Protego!_"

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Adrenaline rushing through her veins, Minerva dodged the spells with a grace and ease belying her years. Once upon a time, she had been trained by the best, and it showed. Even Alastor Moody couldn't hold a candle to Albus Dumbledore when it came to dueling. Finally given a fair fight, the old man's prodigy was doing him proud.

"_Relashio!_" the fourth Death Eater shouted angrily. A sizzling slicing spell shot towards Minerva, but her opponent was so distracted by his anger that it missed badly.

Her ears caught the young, agonized scream that arose from behind her, and Minerva's eyes flashed emerald fury. "_Sagitta__ ignifera!_" Minerva roared. A golden arrow of fire shot from her wand to strike the offending Death Eater squarely in the chest. The man screamed in agony as the arrow embedded itself in his chest and then was consumed in flame.

"_Sicae__ glacei!_" The next Death Eater, shocked by the fate of his companion, moved too slowly to defend himself. He, too, fell screaming as a half-dozen small daggers of ice pierced his torso.

"_Avad__—!_" one of the two remaining Death Eaters screamed in rage. Minerva threw herself to the ground as soon as she heard the beginning of the incantation, but the Death Eater never finished it.

"_Silencio__ totalus!_" the other Death Eater snapped irritably, shocking the witch on the ground as he summarily silenced his partner. "_Petrificus__ totalus!_"

Minerva fought the curse valiantly, but succeeded only in struggling to her knees. Her wand hand shook, but did not move. Time slowed, and Minerva watched the events unfold with a strange detachment.

She saw Tonks and Kingsley look up in their duel with another pair of Death Eaters; saw Tonks's eyes widen and her jaw drop and saw Kingsley's fierce, desperate offensive. She watched as Remus Lupin threw all caution to the wind, using his inhuman strength to throw the crowd out of his way in his frenzied attempt to reach her, golden eyes full of horror. _Tell Albus I'm sorry_, she told Remus silently. The young man continued shoving his way through, ignoring the defeat in her eyes.

Minerva had fought well. She had protected her students. She was prepared to die. It was an eventuality she had always known was a possibility. _I'm sorry, Albus. I tried. _It was only when she felt the pull of a portkey and heard the simultaneous pops of apparition around her that she realized her second mistake.

Her captors did not speak to her, and that fact alone set off little warning bells in Minerva's head. She was unceremoniously thrown into a cell in some dark, damp, cold dungeon showing the trademark lack of originality of Slytherin house and left alone to ponder her fate.

_Imagine that you're having tea with Severus, _she thought with a self-deprecating smile, _not being held for—_

She gasped as realization struck. _Merlin! Don't give them anything!_

Minerva's mind was working very fast now, and the implications were staggering. _Please don't give them anything for me, Albus, please! Nothing. I'm not worth it. _A single tear slipped down her cheek. She knew full well how much her husband was willing to sacrifice for her; it was no less that what she was willing to sacrifice for him—and he had far more to lose. _Oh, Albus!_

_Stay away! Stay safe! Don't give them anything! _

Minerva wiped away a few stray tears with her torn sleeve, her mind begging him to remain resolute, even as a small part of her heart cried out to him in fear and longing:

_Albus__! Please come for me, Albus. But oh, stay away!_

_**end flashback**_

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A/N: Hey, if you liked it, please leave a line. If you didn't, let me know what I can fix. Reviews are always appreciated!


	7. Delivering the Message

﻿ _Chapter Seven: Delivering the Message_

A/N: I am so terribly sorry that this update is so late! I caught a nasty case of writer's block and my teachers suddenly decided to go overboard on the homework. Sorry!

Thank you to Silver Sorceress, Quill of Minerva, bigkihap, ginger newts, ADandMMforever, miss mcGongale, foci, Jedi Knight Padme, mugglemin, and Palanfanaiel for your wonderful reviews! You guys are great.

And, of course, a very big thank you to my beta Flying Auk. I _will _try to add more physical description next time so you don't have to remind me every four lines. :-P

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"NO!" Remus Lupin shouted, throwing himself down on the spot where Minerva McGonagall had just disappeared. "Dammit!" _I tried to reach her…too slow. You weren't fast enough, Lupin. You weren't fast enough…again._

Remus looked down through blurry eyes at the bag he now clutched in his hand. The crinkled brown paper proclaimed _Honeydukes _in gold lettering. Minerva had dropped it just before she had been taken, and the look in her eyes had been unmistakable. _I'm sorry._ Remus knew that her message was not intended for him, but he quailed at the thought of delivering it.

A small fireball exploded just before him and Remus flinched automatically. "Fawkes?"The bird trilled a note of recognition and apology as it settled down lightly on the shattered stone tiles. "What is it?" Fawkes turned to offer Remus his bright tail and gave him a few notes of encouragement. Albus Dumbledore wanted a report. Immediately. With a soul-deep sigh, Remus put his wand in his pocket and clasping the bag tightly, reached out to touch Fawkes's tail. There was a flash of fire, and then they were gone.

Traveling by phoenix flight was by far the best mode of magical transportation, Remus decided. Unlike portkeys, your stomach didn't flip thrice over; unlike Floo powder, you didn't land on your face. It was just like Apparating—one moment you were there, and the next, you are here—but without the wrenching jerks and fear of splinching. Furthermore, Fawkes seemed to radiate a sense of warmth, comfort, and security that Remus desperately needed. The phoenix sang a bolstering note and Remus unconsciously straightened.

Albus was seated behind his desk, head bent wearily over a long budget report, jumbled stacks of parchment placed haphazardly around him. Remus could tell that his work had not held his attention in some time. Albus's hands moved restlessly across the paper, tracing nonsense designs across the miniscule numbers. The Headmaster looked up when Fawkes sang, his blue eyes dark and shadowed. "What happened?" Albus asked shortly, the exhaustion in his voice startling his visitor.

_He doesn't know yet, _Remus realized instantly, golden eyes wide in disbelief. Half a second later, he was struck by another terrifying revelation: _I'll have to tell him._

"Remus?" Albus prompted.

Remus took a deep breath. "There was an attack in Hogsmeade today," he said dispassionately. Albus's face remained impassive. "We think that there were about a dozen Death Eaters, maybe more. About fifteen people were injured; eight were sent to St. Mungo's." Albus nodded grimly.

"Were any students injured?" the Headmaster asked.

Remus's face fell slightly, and Albus mirrored his reaction, reading his expression for what it was. "There was one," he acknowledged regretfully. "A Ravenclaw fourth-year, Mark Langdon. He was taken to the IC ward, but they expect a full recovery."

Albus shook his head sadly, suddenly appearing far older than his one hundred and fifty-five years. "And the Order?"

"No injuries, but…" Remus faltered and failed to meet Albus's eyes.

The Headmaster looked up sharply, blue eyes intense. "Remus?"

"Minerva was captured," Remus admitted finally, looking up at his ex-professor with an expression akin to dread.

Albus froze. "What did you say?" he asked carefully.

"They took Minerva," Remus replied quietly.

"How?" Albus's voice was soft, dangerously soft, and Remus suddenly wished that he had brought Tonks—or the entire Auror squad—with him.

"There were about six of them in the main square. Someone shot up the Dark Mark and the crowd panicked. We couldn't get through, and the Death Eaters were just firing off curses randomly to increase pandemonium. Minerva must have transformed, because suddenly she was in the center of the square, and we were not."

Remus ran a nervous hand through gray-streaked amber hair as he watched Albus's hands tighten around the roll of parchment he was holding. "There were four of them, and she fought anyway," he said, a hint of pride mixing with the incredulity in his voice. "Langdon was hit by a curse meant for her. I've never seen her so angry." Remus paused for a moment in reflection, the battle flashing through his mind in vivid color. "She was amazing, Albus. I've never seen anyone move so _fast. _It was just…incredible. And after taking four stunners in June—and at her age, too," he added in disbelief, missing Albus's pained expression. "She fired off curses that I'd never even heard of before."

Given time to reflect on the fight, Remus was becoming more and more impressed with his ex-professor's dueling skills. He had been her student for _seven years _and had never seen _anything _to indicate that kind of ability. Remus recalled a time when James had wondered idly who Professor Dumbledore practiced dueling against. _I guess I know, now. _Remus could almost feel his mind stretching as yet another of his childhood illusions about his professors was shattered. _I wonder if Dumbledore—Dumbledore! _Suddenly recalling the man in front of him awaiting his report, Remus continued hurriedly.

"Two of the Death Eaters she fought are in the IC. We captured two others, but the rest got away…with Minerva." Remus glanced up, finished with his narrative. Albus's hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, the crumpled parchment beneath his fingers long forgotten. He had not moved once throughout the entire tale.

"Albus?" Remus asked hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

Something flashed in the Headmaster's eyes for a moment and then was gone. Albus rose slowly, his expression closed and distant. "Thank you for br—"

Suddenly the office door banged open and a disheveled Severus Snape ran in. "He's got Minerva!" the Potions Master exclaimed loudly. A slight flicker in the dark eyes was the only acknowledgement of Remus's presence. Albus's reaction to Severus's entrance, however, was vehement. Finally presented with someone as outwardly distraught as he was inwardly, Albus broke.

"Oh God, _Minerva…_"

"Albus!" Severus said sharply. Moving faster than Remus had ever seen, Severus ran past him and caught Albus just before the man collapsed. "She'll be fine. We'll get her back," he promised, easing the old man back into his chair with a gentleness that surprised Remus. "We'll make them pay," Severus swore vehemently.

Severus's intensity awoke something within Albus, but it was not the cognizance Remus hoped for. "Yes, we will," the Headmaster said softly, and Remus shivered.

Severus too, seemed slightly unnerved. All traces of the candy-loving, prank-appreciating Headmaster they had known were gone. Albus radiated a certain _darkness_ that Remus had always associated with _Severus_. Even more so, however, Albus radiated _danger_ in a way that Remus had seen only twice as a student. Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard on the planet, and he was _terrifying_.

"Was there anything else, Remus?" Albus asked suddenly, his tone deceivingly even. The man's face was totally expressionless, as if all life had just been wiped from him. Remus blinked, startled by his sudden transformation.

"Uh, yeah," Remus stuttered, offering him the Honeydukes bag. "Minerva dropped this."

Albus took the bag slowly and reached inside. He drew out a small box in shiny, dark brown wrapping paper, read the label, and handed it wordlessly to Severus. The Potions Master looked at the little box in incomprehension, and then swallowed hard. Leaning forward awkwardly, Remus caught the words "_For Severus—not to sweet for your disposition, I hope."_ Minerva had even drawn a little smiley face after it. Startled, Remus looked up to meet Severus's eyes, only to find the man's expression as closeted as ever—though there was a strange, menacing glitter in his eyes. Remus turned back to Albus immediately.

A large metal tin was next, the image of a ginger newt indented on the front clearly identifying its contents. Remus watched as a ghost of a smile flitted across Albus's face, only to be replaced by an expression of unparalleled anguish. It was such a private moment that he felt obligated to apologize for eavesdropping. The sheer idiocy of that thought struck him hard and he closed his mouth with a snap, causing the other two men to look up at him curiously.

"Nothing," Remus said shortly. The two men nodded, returning their attention to the paper bag.

Albus reached into the bag again and had to dig around the bottom before pulling out the last item: a small, dome-shaped package wrapped in blue-and-silver foil. "_For my phoenix,_" he whispered, seemingly unaware of his avid audience. "_You always rise from the ashes stronger than before._" With trembling hands Albus carefully unwrapped the little package, taking in a sharp breath at the sight of his gift. Remus stepped forward to get a better look, puzzled when he saw only a single chocolate frog.

The Headmaster's hands were shaking so violently that he was forced to pause and take a deep breath before continuing to unwrap the chocolate. As soon as he pulled the golden string, the chocolate frog jumped out of the packaging and onto the desk, but Albus paid no mind as his treat leapt happily out the door. It was the card, Remus realized, that had his attention. "_Albus Dumbledore,_" he read flatly, though he must have memorized the contents long ago. "_Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times_—" Here, Albus let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "—_Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling and…" _Albus's hand tightened around the little card and Remus started. He had read Dumbledore's chocolate frog card a hundred times—there was no more information on the card. But Albus picked up his reading again, his voice suddenly hoarse. "_…and weekends in France with his wife_, _who is hoping that he will accompany her there for her upcoming birthday,_" he finished softly. Even Remus's werewolf-enhanced ears strained to catch his last words, and he gasped as comprehension dawned.

"You're married?"

Albus looked up at him and Remus suddenly wished that he had not asked. "For the last fifty years," the Headmaster replied simply, before returning to stare at Minerva's—his _wife's_—last note. It was not their marriage that shocked Remus; after the "stunner incident," he had begun to question the apparent relationship between Hogwarts two most famous professors. No, it was something else entirely.

Albus Dumbledore's eyes had lost their sparkle.

* * *

A/N: According to HP Lexicon, Minerva's birthday is October 4; Albus's is not listed. 

Reviews are always appreciated!


	8. Keeping the Appointment

﻿ _Chapter Eight: Keeping the Appointment

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_

A/N: Many thanks to foci, Quill of Minerva, Dumbledore, taRa JaZeL, and Subbulakshmi for reviewing the tiny chapter!

And a great big ginormous thank you to my beta Flying Auk, who ensures that nothing like 'ginormous' shows up in my writing.

My apologies to anyone (sorry, Clayre!) who got confused by the last update. The new chapter was chapter _three_, not chapter seven, and it takes place in July (before all the nastiness). It's just a short, fluffy explanation as to why Voldemort didn't kidnap Minerva sooner.

Yay, chapter eight! And so we come to the climax...

Just remember, all will be explained in due time...

* * *

It was time. 

In unison the two men raised the glass vials to their lips and downed their contents in one gulp, grimacing at the taste.

Silently they handed their wands to Remus who pocketed them solemnly.

The older man was older; the younger man, younger.

They were ready.

When the clock struck midnight they reached out to touch the convoluted black stone phoenix, exchanging a determined nod just before their fingers brushed against the grotesque sculpture.

Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter vanished in a flash from the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Left behind in their wake was an anxious Remus Lupin, who offered up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening.

* * *

The white-haired wizard and his young companion appeared in the center of the circle exactly as the clock struck twelve. Potter eyed the Death Eaters surrounding them with obvious unease, shifting his weight and fingering his pocket as if to grasp his missing wand; Dumbledore's gaze remained fixed on the monster at the end of the hall. 

The room had been prepared just as carefully as a theatre stage. Some thirty-odd masked Death Eaters encircled the two arrivals tightly, wands in hand, eagerly awaiting the fall of the "greatest wizard of modern times." At the end of the hall was a small dais, and seated upon its ornate chair was Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort himself.

It was poetic justice that Riddle's physical appearance was now as evil as his soul. Red eyes, little more than slits, stared back at his greatest nemesis.

"Ah, Dumbledore, so good of you to come," Voldemort drawled, his rasping voice shattering the silence of the room. Dumbledore simply stared at him, barely acknowledging his presence. The Dark Lord scowled. "Give me the boy," he demanded sharply.

"Where is Professor McGonagall?" Dumbledore countered, his voice equally harsh.

"_Professor McGonagall?_ Is that what you call her in bed?" he leered, noting the sudden tensing Dumbledore's body with vicious pleasure. "She's been screaming _your _bloody name since the moment she got here." The old man flinched visibly, and Voldemort smiled triumphantly.

"Where is she?" Potter shouted furiously, moving forward to stand beside his mentor supportively.

Voldemort looked down from the dais at the boy as if he were a particularly unpleasant bug to be squashed, and did not answer.

"Where. Is. She?" Dumbledore bit out, straightening angrily.

Voldemort returned his attention to the older wizard and smiled evilly. "I'm afraid that she won't be able to join us. She's a little…indisposed at the moment."

"_What the hell did you do to her?_" Dumbledore roared, leaping forward and reaching out as if to strangle Voldemort with his bare hands. Half a dozen Death Eaters jumped forward from the circle to restrain him and Voldemort smirked. Dumbledore flung his hands up and the Death Eaters flew backwards, a few hitting the walls with audible cracks.

Cruel, delighted laughter and applause arose from the dais, freezing those in action. "Bravo, bravo," the Dark Lord intoned, startling his followers. Then his face hardened. "Enough games, Dumbledore. Don't forget who's in charge here," he threatened vaguely.

Dumbledore paused in his advance but did not back down. "_Where is Minerva?_"

"Ah, so it's _Minerva _now, is it?" Voldemort asked mockingly. Seeing the growing ire in Dumbledore's face, Voldemort waved to the Death Eater on his left carelessly. "Bring in the whore, then." The furious flash in Dumbledore's eyes was unmistakable, but every ounce of fire in him fled the moment the Death Eaters dragged in Minerva McGonagall and threw her at their master's feet.

"Minerva!" Dumbledore cried sharply, rushing forward as she crumpled to the ground. Potter gasped audibly at the sight of his professor.

"Don't move," Voldemort warned them coldly, holding his wand to Minerva's throat almost lazily. "I'd hate to have to kill her now." Dumbledore skidded to a halt, his blue eyes agonized as he frantically assessed her condition.

Her dress had been torn to shreds and hung loosely on her eerily gaunt body. Thin, pale legs spotted with dark purple bruises splayed out beneath her, and she shivered slightly, boneless as a flobberworm. Dried blood and mottled filth were splattered across her rags, and her right arm hung at an odd angle. Voldemort watched in amusement as she struggled to right herself and Dumbledore struggled not to run to her side. Finally, she managed to push herself into an awkward half-sitting, half-kneeling position and looked up at her would-be rescuers.

There were dark circles under her eyes and a deep bruise on her left cheek. Tiny scratches showed red against the white of her face. She was clearly exhausted and in great pain, but her eyes met Dumbledore's unerringly. Something passed between them in that instant, like a spark of electricity, and both straightened subtly.

"Let her go," Dumbledore commanded, the sudden strength in his voice making Voldemort frown. "It's me you want." Dumbledore studiously avoided the sudden anguish in Minerva's face.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "You flatter yourself, old man. You know the deal. The boy for the woman."

"I'm here," Potter snapped angrily. "Let her go." The woman on the ground looked up sharply at the sound of his voice and gave a small cry at the sight of him, green eyes wide.

Voldemort turned to look at the boy in mild irritation. "Stay out of this, boy."

"Let me handle this, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

Potter shrugged it off agitatedly. "Let her go," he said clearly, taking another few steps toward Minerva. "You have what you want," he said, indicating himself.

"Harry, no!" Minerva cried, horrified.

"Silence!" Voldemort thundered, kicking her viciously as he raised his wand. Minerva collapsed with a soft cry, instinctively cradling her right arm to her chest.

"NO!" Dumbledore and Potter screamed, running forward at full speed. The Death Eaters rose up to stop them, but neither slowed their pace.

"ENOUGH!" Voldemort bellowed, rising from his seat and grabbing Minerva by her hair. His wand dug into the back of her neck painfully. "MOVE AND SHE DIES!"

Though she made no sound, Minerva's eyes were tightly closed, the slow tear trailing down her cheek testimony to her pain. Dumbledore stood just ten feet away, breathing heavily, body trembling slightly as his blue eyes registered more emotions than any one man could ever hope to contain. The expression on his face could only be described as stricken, and he shuddered violently at the sight of Minerva's tears.

Beside him stood young Potter, fists clenched fiercely, face flushed, also breathing heavily. "Leave her alone," he said loudly, but the tears in his tone made the words seem more of a plea than a command. "You can have me, just…just please, leave her alone."

Minerva's eyes flew open at his words, and she shook her head frantically at him. Sensing her movement, Voldemort jerked on a fistful of her hair violently. Minerva's head snapped back and she whimpered, falling still. Dumbledore gritted his teeth and breathed deeply, hands clenched into fists. The pure hatred radiating from him was palpable to everyone in the room.

"STOP IT!" Potter shouted.

"Silence, boy," Voldemort said coldly, jabbing his wand at Minerva's throat again for emphasis. "Here's how this is going to work," he began, looking at Dumbledore. "You will choose one, the woman or the boy, to take with you. You will turn around and walk out the door, and I will kill the other the moment you step out of this room."

Dumbledore's throat was working rapidly as his eyes darted between the two most important people in his life.

"Having trouble deciding, old man? I should have known that you were getting senile," Voldemort said mockingly. "Let me help you." Reaching down, he twisted Minerva's right arm savagely, his eyes daring Dumbledore to try anything. Her tortured scream sliced straight through Dumbledore's soul, and the old man faltered for a moment.

"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Potter screamed furiously, shaking from head to toe.

Voldemort's eyes glanced over the boy, meeting his glare evenly. A sudden, sharp pain sliced through Potter's skull as the Legilimens attacked his mind. Potter was too distracted to actively defend himself, and Voldemort slashed through his poorly-erected shields with ease. The boy fell with a sharp cry of pain, clutching his scar.

"So little Potter _loves_ his professors, does he? How does it feel to be a failure as a father as well as a husband, old man?" the Dark Lord taunted his rival. Dumbledore looked sharply at Potter, who was slowly regaining his feet, the evident shock on his face only further amusing Voldemort.

"Didn't you know that your precious golden boy _loves _you, _Professor_?" Voldemort laughed harshly. "He was so _crushed _when you _betrayed _him when he was just fifteen. Poor, precious little Potter." Dumbledore seemed to wilt at Voldemort's words. "So, you can save your _son_ by killing his mother, or save your _wife_ by killing her son. The irony is lovely, isn't it?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes were dim, defeated, when they met Minerva's green ones. Her message was clear. _Take him and get out of here! _Dumbledore shook his head slowly. _I won't leave you._ The flash of pain in her eyes hurt them both. _Albus__, please…_she begged, needing no Legilimency to communicate with him. His answer was emphatic and unyielding. _Never._

She looked up at Potter, slightly uncertain but nevertheless determined. The boy's eyes widened as he read her message, confirming her conjecture. Then he too, shook his head definitively, no more than a slight inclination of his head, but it was enough to dash Minerva's hopes.

Her worst nightmare had just come to life.

* * *

A/N: Please review! What'd you think? It was a stretch for me as a writer to come up with this, so I'm curious as to what my readers think. Oh, and sorry for any confusion the chapter may have caused. Part II of this scene will be posted after I finish touching it up, followed by one or two chapters explaining this insanity. 


	9. Prices

_Chapter Nine: Prices_

A/N: Thank you to bigkihap, foci, XO Moonsong, am4ever, Batou, ellenhunter, bogus7 (cheating's ok :-P), and Quill of Minerva for their reviews. Really, guys. I appreciate it.

And, as always, thank you to my beta Flying Auk, who forgave me for confusing her.

* * *

"So we come to the end, Dumbledore. What is your—_what_?" Voldemort exclaimed rising up from his seat, unconsciously releasing Minerva who slumped to the ground. 

A loud moan had arisen from the Death Eater on his left, and the man crumpled over in sudden pain. The Dark Lord himself felt an unpleasant tingling in his stomach and coughed sharply, thereby missing the slight, knowing smile on Potter's face as all around the circle, his men were suddenly and violently ill.

He also missed the startled widening of Potter's eyes as the boy whirled around to face Dumbledore. The sound of a different voice in his head had instantly incited a dozen different emotions in him, none of them pleasant. The boy's green eyes were narrowed, his body tense and angry as he faced down his mentor. They glared at each other for only a moment before Potter shook his head and regained his determined edge. They raised their arms in unison, performing a simple spell with complex wandless magic. "_Accio__ Minerva!_"

Brilliant violet and emerald fire arched towards Minerva, gathering her up and sending her sailing through the air at incredible speed. Voldemort's shout of rage was echoed by his followers' exclamations of surprise, and half a dozen curses were shot at Minerva.

"_Protego__ maximus!_" Potter shouted, and emerald green fire shot up around Minerva in a dazzling sphere of light. Angry red jets and sickly green ones dissipated as they hit the shield; Potter shook slightly with every impact but never faltered, eyes blazing.

From the back of the circle, however, came a single curse aimed directly at Potter's back. Neither Potter nor Dumbledore noticed, so intent on rescuing and protecting Minerva that they were oblivious to all else, including their own safety. The woman in question, however, had always been preternaturally aware of and preoccupied by the latter issue and took action, weak as she was. Her whispered, wishful "_Protego_" seemed misplaced amongst the loud, angry shouts of the men in the room, and it was that doubtful anything but her magic heard her. The faint shimmer of violet that arose behind Potter was like a thin gauze screen to his heavy canvas, but it was enough. Both the curse and the shield disappeared simultaneously.

Then, finally, after what could have been only a few seconds but felt like hours, Minerva landed safely in Dumbledore's arms. She was barely conscious.

"Fawkes!" the old wizard roared.

A bright note rang out as a small fireball exploded in the center of the room, and the Death Eaters trembled. The note turned into a startled squawk, however, as the phoenix tried to materialize. A ghastly green net of magic had somehow appeared around the bird and began to tighten. Fawkes flapped his wings desperately, trying to cut his way out of the net with his claws, but to no avail. The net was bringing the mighty bird down to earth, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind what the outcome would be.

"Go!" Dumbledore shouted urgently. Fawkes' head jerked up to stare at his wizard. "GO!" With a mournful note of apology and sorrow, Fawkes vanished in a ball of fire. Moments later the net hit the ground empty, burning into the floor with an angry hiss.

"Here," Potter said sharply, holding out a half dozen wands. The old man held his right hand above them for a moment, then snatched the one on the far left. Potter broke the others spitefully, throwing the shards to the floor.

"I'll try," he said shortly. Dumbledore nodded, scanning the Death Eaters for danger and easily deflecting the few spells sent their way. Potter raised his wand and snapped it down in a practiced motion. For a moment he flickered, and Dumbledore's breath caught hopefully. The next second, however, he was hurled painfully downward, hitting the ground with an audible thud

The boy grimaced and rose, not bothering to brush himself off. "This way," Potter ordered under his breath, raising his wand and firing off a vicious curse at the Death Eater to his left. "Hurry." Dumbledore's arms tightened around his precious burden as he followed, helping Potter deflect the myriad of curses sent at them, most poorly aimed due to the wretched retching of most of Voldemort's circle.

They did not concern themselves with the Dark Lord himself. Twelve of the world's most dangerous poisons were currently working their way through Voldemort's system, and although they knew that he would quickly recover, for the moment he was out of their way.

Potter barely paused to open doors. If the door was locked, he blasted through it. If there was no door in the wall, he made one. The few Death Eaters that they crossed in the halls were quickly disposed of by some nasty curses from Potter and a few truly malicious ones from Dumbledore. Unlike the Death Eaters they fought, the two rescuers did not feel their injuries, major or minor. They would not pause, they would not stop, they knew no mercy. Potter in particular fought with a recklessness that surpassed even Gryffindor standards.

All in all, it probably took them only a few minutes to reach the small garden just outside the mansion, but even that was far too long for Dumbledore.

He could feel Minerva's blood seeping through her robes and into his as they ran, the presence of that warm, sticky substance signaling the loss of their lifeblood. He could feel how cold her body was, weak from hunger, thirst, and blood loss. Worst of all, he could feel it as her breaths grew shallower and shallower against his chest until her body fell completely limp in his arms and his heart stopped. For a brief moment he felt a wrenching pain in his chest as if his beating heart had just been ripped from his body and set aflame, leaving him breathless.

"MINERVA!" Dumbledore screamed. He dropped slowly to the ground, cradling her body carefully, dead and dying vegetation all around them.

Ahead of him, Potter froze and whirled around, face stricken, eyes wide. "No," the boy whispered, his mouth forming the word though little sound came out.

Dumbledore raised her head gently, stroking the bruised, dirt-streaked cheek with callused, trembling fingers as Potter stared at them in horror. "Wake up!" Dumbledore continued caressing her cheek softly, unaware that his tears were now falling freely, washing the dirt from her face. "Don't do this to me, Minerva!"

In desperation, Dumbledore placed his left hand over her heart and took a deep breath. A brilliant violet light flared between them, and Potter watched in amazement as Albus's magic flowed into Minerva. Agonized moments later, Minerva drew in a short, rasping breath, and Potter nearly cheered. Dumbledore, however, seemed unaware of this miraculous event and continued pouring his life-magic into her—face graying by the second as he slowly killed himself in his frenzied attempt to save her.

"Albus!" Potter cried sharply. "Stop it! She's all right." Seeing no visible reaction, the boy knelt down and slapped him hard across the face. "Dammit, we have to get out of here or we'll _all _die! Now _get up_!"

Dumbledore blinked and looked up at him, blue eyes dazed. "_Get up_!" Potter roared. Fumbling, the old man attempted to obey but fell down hard, barely managing to break Minerva's fall with his body.

Potter swore, loudly and creatively. "Here, give her to me," he demanded. At the belligerent look in Dumbledore's eyes, Potter's expression hardened. "You can barely walk, and if we're not gone in the next five minutes, none of us are ever going to leave. Now give her to me, for Merlin's sake!"

Silently acknowledging Dumbledore's threat of great harm, Potter carefully gathered up Minerva but did not rise from the ground. "Grab onto my arm," he said. Dumbledore did so, and Potter rose slowly, adjusting to the double weight.

Gritting his teeth, the boy slowly guided the couple out through the little gate and beyond the inner wall. "Here," he said shortly. Dumbledore nearly collapsed. Potter paused for a moment and then gently lowered Minerva into the old man's arms. Satisfied that he held her with far more strength than Dumbledore had shown while walking, Potter rose. "Call Fawk—" Potter broke off with a gasp.

"What is it?"

"We've been here too long. The potion—it's wearing off." By the end of the statement, the boy's voice had deepened, turning into the smooth, familiar tones of Hogwarts' Potions Master. Severus Snape looked flatly ridiculous in school robes at least two sizes too small for him. "Bloody hell," he cursed softly, looking down at himself in disgust. "Hurry up and call Fawkes; we can't stay here."

When asked, he would say that he acted purely on instinct.

Later, he would recall with satisfaction that the killing curse required pure, unadulterated hatred.

Finally, in the privacy of his own quarters, deep in the heart of the dungeons and surrounded by Slytherin green, he would wonder why he mourned the death of Lucius Malfoy.

Severus's sharp ears caught rasping of the garden door just before it burst open. Someone had caught up with them. His borrowed wand was up in a flash, and the Dark Magic flowed freely through the fouled contraption. He could not be seen; they could not be taken. Expediency was the way of war.

"_Avada__ Kedavra!_"

The Death Eater fell without a sound as the bright green light struck him square in the chest, his wand falling from lifeless fingers. Severus could not say what possessed him to pull back the mask and see which of the men with whom he had gone out for drinks he had just killed. As soon as he touched the material he knew. Only Lucius Malfoy would own Death Eater robes of silk. Stumbling backwards as if burned, Severus stared down at the corpse of the man who had once been his best friend.

Behind him, Albus demanded his attention. "It's time to go." The younger man turned to find Fawkes on the shoulder of his mentor. He had somehow missed the bird's arrival. Silently, Severus picked up the fallen wand, pocketed it, and grasped Fawkes' bright tail. Then, in a flash, they were gone.

* * *

A/N: Needing dramatic music... 

So, there's that. Props to anyone who figured it out, and apologies to those of you who are still confused.

I feel the need to clarify one point. Yes, Severus is Harry. Yes, Aberforth was _supposed _to be Dumbledore (hence Severus-Harry's surprise), but did you _really _think that Albus would just stand back and watch his brother rescue his wife? Points to foci for figuring that one out, and to ellenhunter and DumbledoresKitten for getting the first one.

Please do review!


	10. Another Arrival

_Chapter Ten: Another Arrival_

A/N: Thank you to bigkihap, Quill of Minerva (I'm sorry I keep confusing you!), DumbledoresKitten, Jaya, foci, Kristen and mugglemin for their reviews. Let me know what you think of this twist; I haven't tried this theme before, but my beta and I agree that it's a nice change for Severus.

And thank you to Flying Auk, for being the fastest beta ever.

Sorry it took me so long to post. I am in Quèbec on a strange computer in the hotel that I am not sure I am allowed to use because the Internet cafe I tried would not let me on.

* * *

They landed in a jumbled heap in the center of one of St. Mungo's private wards. The sanitized smell of the hospital struck his nostrils first, followed by a deluge of white walls. 

_Safe_, Severus thought hazily.

Beside him, Albus shuddered violently. "POPPY!"

Severus heard a woman's single frightened gasp before a cacophony of sound descended. His ears caught the sound of various people running back and forth and he felt strong arms lifting him up and pulling him away.

"She's not breathing!" Somehow Albus's simple, panicked statement cut through the hubbub, only to cause more panic. Severus swayed dangerously on his feet, only to be grasped more firmly by his helper. To his disgust, he found that the werewolf was the one supporting him. Throwing off Lupin like a dog with water on its coat, Severus shook his head to clear it.

Poppy had Minerva on a stretcher and halfway out the door before Severus was cognizant enough to realize what was going on. "The ER, stat!" the school nurse shouted at the two young hospital assistants with her. Turning back to Albus her eyes narrowed. Two flicks of her wand and Albus was following Minerva again, this time flat on his back courtesy of a magical stretcher.

After Albus and Minerva had been taken out, Poppy following in tow, Severus collapsed heavily into one of the room's hard wooden chairs. He leaned back slightly but did not relax. A quick glance at the clock revealed the time as just forty-eight minutes past midnight_. So little time for so much blood, _he thought numbly. _So much blood…_

Lupin was discreetly taking care of the bloodstains on the floor, but the sight of the bright red on white was burned into the back of his brain. _Minerva's blood, all over the floor…Lucius's blood on _your _hands—_

"Severus?" Molly questioned gently, interrupting his train of thought as she stepped away from her husband and towards him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Severus said sourly, knowing that the meddling woman would never just leave her inquiry there. He turned away and crossed his arms, discreetly observing her from the corner of his eye.

Indeed, Molly frowned, her face taking on that stern expression that her children knew quite well. _Damn. _"Severus, you can't just—"

Thankfully, at just that moment the door opened with a bang. A tall, dark-haired young woman wearing a heavy traveling cloak strode in, blue eyes fierce and frantic. Lupin leapt up in surprise, wand at the ready, but she ignored the werewolf. Spotting Severus sitting in the corner, she veered towards him immediately. "Where are they?" she demanded, completely ignoring the other three people in the room.

She took one look at his face as he turned towards her and sucked in a sharp breath. _I must look worse than I thought, _Severus noted abstractedly. "The emergency room," he said quietly, desperately trying to ignore the stunned, stricken expression on her face.

"Are they all right?" she whispered, eyes wide and suddenly vulnerable as she fiddled nervously with her hands.

Severus suddenly felt the need to lie, and lie well. He paused for a moment and then looked up at her, offering her a dry smile. He shook his head slightly. "You worry too much," he said lightly, his tone admonishing. "They'll be fine."

She was too distracted to notice his hesitation. "Thank Merlin," she said, letting out a loud breath. "Can I see them?" she asked hopefully.

Severus shook his head regretfully. "They're still in…the mediwizards are still…not yet," he snapped finally, exasperated with his fumbling speech. _Some spy you are, Severus!_

"But they'll be all right?" she insisted, intent on his face.

"They'll be just fine," he promised again, this time without hesitation.

She closed her eyes for a moment and stood very still, as if processing that information. "Thank you, Severus," she said finally, opening her eyes slowly. Severus resisted the urge to sigh in relief as she slumped into the seat next to him, appearing utterly spent. He allowed her the time to collect herself, giving a discreet "let me handle this" wave to the three Order members watching them intently. Sure enough, she turned to face him moments later. "What happened? And what are you wearing?" she asked, her voice hinting of amusement at the last.

Severus looked down at himself and grimaced again. "It's a long story," he said shortly.

"I have time," she replied lightly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow skeptically. Despite her easy tone, Severus could see that she bit her lip nervously and her fingers clenched her upper arms tightly.

Frowning, Severus turned to Lupin. "My wand?"

Lupin said nothing. Fishing the desired article out of his pocket, he slowly handed it over to Severus, who resisted the urge to snatch it from his hands.

Beside him, the young woman sighed, rose, and drew her wand. "Allow me," she said sarcastically, before casting a complex series of spell that left the room glowing faintly for a moment. She turned back to Severus, slightly exasperated. "Satisfied?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Not entirely," he said archly. She rolled her eyes childishly. Ignoring the small voice in his head that suggested perhaps this was not one of his best ideas, Severus cast a few more privacy spells on the room. He sheathed his wand with a flourish, inclining his head slightly to the woman on his left. "Now, what was it you wanted to know?" he asked solicitously.

She laughed despite herself, and although the sound was slightly strained, a little tension left her shoulders. A smug smile tugged at the corners of Severus's mouth. _Ten points to Slytherin._ "Oh, Severus…" Her half-delighted, half-exasperated tone was painfully familiar. "You're impossible."

She glanced down at him and sobered immediately. "What happened, Severus?" _Damn it, man, control yourself!_ "I got your note three hours ago. Your owl was quite insistent, I might add," she said with a wry smile. "Crazy animal hooted loud enough to wake up the whole neighborhood." Severus smirked, playing along with her attempts to distract herself. "Do you know how infuriatingly _vague_ your blasted missive was?"

He shook his head; he really _didn't _know. After all, he'd written to her only a few hours before his "appointment," and how much of his sanity he'd retained at that point was rather questionable. Severus ignored the slight pounding in the back of his head and attempted to focus on her words. "Read it," she ordered, thrusting a small slip of paper at him.

Severus unfolded the tiny paper slowly. It had been crinkled, creased, and crumpled more times than he cared to count. A slight pang of guilt struck him, quickly suppressed by the larger logical portion of his brain. He glanced down at the parchment.

_You're needed at home. It's urgent. Come now. __S._

Severus looked up at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. He _had _been rather brief, he supposed. "Yes?"

Her small hands tightened into fists and her lips thinned. "Have you _any _idea what it's like to get a note like that? Do you know how long I spent trying to figure out if this was some cruel prank to get me to fly across the bloody channel? _What happened?_"

"Well did you?" he asked curiously.

"Did I what?" she snapped.

"'Fly across the bloody channel?'" Severus wondered idly how long he could keep her distracted enough to avoid telling her the truth.

Her eyes widened indignantly. "No," she growled. "Since you were so wonderfully unspecific about the 'urgency' of the matter, I apparated _five _times to get here faster. I considered apparating directly, but I probably would've splinched myself twice over." She glared at him. "You could have been a little more specific, you know."

"I was a little preoccupied at the time," he returned evenly, offering her the paper back. She snatched it out of his hand and plunged it into her pocket, still glaring at him. "You came, didn't you?"

"Yes, you bastard, I came," she said angrily. "Anyone else would have given me an explanation."

"Then it worked just fine, didn't it?" he replied, closing his eyes slightly. _Why am I so tired?_

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare, Severus Snape!" His eyes flew open, startled that they now matched the shock in hers. "What?" she said softly, reaching down to brush her fingers against a damp spot on his school robes. When they came away bloody, her eyes widened even more. "Why didn't you say anything?" she demanded, drawing her wand and rising from her seat. Severus was too tired to object or defend himself.

Muttering quietly to herself about the stupidity of men, she sliced his robes open from neck to navel with a single spell, and gasped loudly at the sight of the bleeding sore in his side. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked him again, tearful this time.

"Didn't want to…worry you," he replied hoarsely, hissing as she pulled back his shirt gently. The removal of the tight fabric had ripped away the partially-formed scab and stung terribly.

"Idiot," she told him, blinking back tears. Raising her wand again, she cast a series of powerful healing charms that left him tingling. "Anywhere else?"

"Left shoulder," he replied shortly, doing his level best to remain upright.

Shaking her head, she cast another spell to slice his sleeve open and pulled away the rags. Severus sucked in a sharp breath as the movement tore open the wound again and felt her shake a little. Silently, she cast the required charms. "Is that it?" she asked, knowing that he would have already assessed his injuries, though he was too stubborn to _ask for help._

Severus shook his head weakly and the young woman nodded. She cast a few more spells to help heal the small scratches and bruises adorning his body and clean him up. The young woman inspected him carefully. Apparently satisfied with the state of his injuries, she cast one last spell.

"Diana!" Severus exclaimed, finding himself suddenly attired in fitting robes of a deep green.

The young woman raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather have them in Gryffindor red?"

Severus backed down hastily, and she smiled. "Much better," she declared. Turning to the others in the room, she finally introduced herself. _After she interrogated, stripped and redressed me to her liking, _Severus noted sourly. _Blasted, meddling Gryffindors._

_

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_

A/N: Please review! What do you think of her?


	11. Unpleasant Explanations

_Chapter Eleven: Unpleasant Explanations_

A/N: Thank you to Quill of Minerva, DumbledoresKitten (I'm an American, just visiting, thanks for the welcome!), and JoanneM (of course Severus is a human being!) for their reviews. SolaTira (yes, you're right about Diana), foci, and popsicle (I can't _believe_ you actually reviewed!), thank you too, and since you all asked so nicely, here's the next chapter.

A very grateful thank you to my beta, Flying Auk, who did this while watching March Madness late at night because I left the next morning.

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From the last chapter: 

Turning to the others in the room, she finally introduced herself. _After she interrogated, stripped and redressed me to her liking, _Severus noted sourly. _Blasted, meddling Gryffindors._

* * *

The young woman turned and offered her hand to Lupin. "Diana Rowe," she said shortly. "I'm a friend of Severus's." 

"I see," the werewolf replied as he shook her hand, though it was clear that he did not. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Rowe. Where did you learn all that?" he asked admiringly, gesturing towards Severus.

"The healing spells? Oh, my aunt taught me those a long time ago. I got into a number of scrapes as a child and she got tired of cleaning me up every time my father brought me to her in a panic." She smiled sadly, momentarily lost in fond memories she now obviously found painful.

Undoubtedly familiar with the sensation himself, Lupin frowned. "I'm Remus Lupin, by the way," he said pleasantly, deliberately interrupting her train of thought.

Diana blinked and looked up at the werewolf in confusion. "Pardon?"

"Remus Lupin," he repeated. The brief flash of recognition and anger in her eyes was unmistakable, and Severus felt a surge of triumph as the werewolf dropped her gaze. Diana glanced at Severus, unsure, and he nodded slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin," Diana said quietly. They stared at each other uneasily for a moment longer, and then Molly intervened.

"Molly Weasley," she said neutrally, disrupting the little tableau, "and this is my husband, Arthur."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley," Diana replied warmly. "I've heard all about you two. The Headmaster finds your sons' shop particularly innovative. He sent me a few of their products. They've managed to integrate Muggle and magical inventions ingeniously."

Both Weasley parents beamed and Severus resisted the urge to smirk. A small bark of laughter escaped him, and all three of them turned to look at him darkly.

_Complimenting the children _and_ mentioning Muggles. Very good, Diana._

_Not all of us are intentionally unpleasant, Severus, _she shot back, turning to face the Weasleys again.

"Again, a pleasure to meet you two." Severus rolled his eyes mentally. _You haven't met their monsters yet, _he thought to himself

"Now, will _someone _please tell me what's going on?" Diana demanded, having dispensed with the pleasantries.

"No!" Severus said sharply.

They all turned to stare at him incredulously.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Diana said dangerously. "Just who do—"

"Sit down, Diana," Severus snapped. His dark eyes met her blazing blue ones squarely. _I think I'm the only one in this room who knows why you're here, _he said brusquely_. I'm also the only one who knows what happened._

Much to everyone's surprise she obeyed, glaring at him fiercely the whole time. _Sometimes, Severus, you make it very easy for people to hate you._

_You're not the first to think so. _"_Facio__ secretum,_" Severus said calmly. A clear, hazy dome rose around them. "They can neither hear us nor see us," he told her.

"Then tell me what the hell happened!" she practically screamed at him, throwing her hands down in desperation. "_Dammit, _Severus, I can't just—"

"—Voldemort kidnapped Minerva and tried to use her against Albus," Severus said flatly. "We just rescued her."

Diana froze instantly, her hand half-raised, her mouth slightly open as she gaped at him. "What?" she said softly, her voice barely a thread of air.

Severus sighed deeply before meeting her eyes, instantly apologetic. "We don't know how yet, but Voldemort found out about them. Minerva was kidnapped last week;—"

Diana's eyes closed momentarily. "Oh Merlin," she breathed painfully.

"—Voldemort wanted to trade her for the Potter boy. Tonight—"

Suddenly Diana was on her feet, thrusting an accusing finger into Severus's chest. "Wait one minute. _A week?_" she exclaimed angrily. "You didn't tell me that _my mother _had been kidnapped for _a week?_"

"No," Severus replied evenly, ignoring her antics. Diana was up and pacing furiously as if the action would somehow dispel the rage and worry he knew she would otherwise direct at him. He appreciated the gesture, especially as every time she muttered "one week" under her breath, her right hand tightened on her wand.

Suddenly she whipped around to face him. "In Merlin's name, _why?_" she questioned, her voice breaking at the last.

"Diana," Severus said gently. "As much as he likes me, your father would have killed me for telling you."

She frowned, startled. "Dad?"

"You would have come here immediately—" he began.

"—Well, of course—" she interrupted, nonplussed.

"—And then you'd have demanded to be involved in the rescue, which he never would have allowed." Diana shrugged, finding no fault with his reasoning so far, and Severus nodded in satisfaction. "You would have tried to help anyway. Albus would have made me watch you every minute of every hour of every day. Then if you'd gotten away and _anything_ had happened to you, he would have _killed_ me." _If Minerva didn't get to me first—after we survived trying to save you from your own Gryffindor stupidity._

Diana paused in her pacing, testing Severus's sequence of events. Her shoulders slumped a little. "What do you mean, 'if' I got away?" she asked him finally, the strained smile she offered him indicating that she had forgiven his trespass—almost. There was a tense note to her tone and stiffness to her shoulders that should not have been there, but Severus was willing to accept that small loss in face of the larger victory.

Severus slumped back in his chair in relief. He simply wasn't made to handle the McGonagall women. He didn't know how Albus had survived the last thirty years with his daughter, let alone the last fifty with his wife. "Think you can outsmart me?" Severus asked a moment later, raising an eyebrow.

"I know it," she replied, smirking. "Severus, my _mother_ can_—_" Diana broke off suddenly, blue eyes wide and pained. "Tell me the rest of it, now."

Severus nodded wordlessly, his throat suddenly tight. He stared at a point on the wall as he spoke, unable to meet Diana's eyes. "Albus was supposed to trade Potter for Minerva at midnight. We—the Order, that is—had it all planned out. Aberforth was supposed to go as Albus; I would play Potter. Somehow Albus managed to switch places with Aberforth—I should have noticed," Severus said, his tone sharpening in annoyance. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder but refused to allow himself to relax. "Aberforth never could have put on such a performance. We played straight into Voldemort's hands. Albus was damned lucky that Lucius…" Here Severus swallowed hard, and Diana's gaze sharpened. "…that Lucius had thrown a dinner party the night before. I was able to put a delayed poison in the soup, and drop a different mixture into Voldemort's glass at the Revel that night."

Diana looked up at him fearfully. "They won't find you out?"

"I doubt it. Voldemort's become arrogant. It's made him stupid," Severus said scathingly. "There are too many people at these parties, and not all of them are associated with the _Cause_." The last word was audibly capitalized and cuttingly sarcastic.

Diana nodded, but the fear had not quite left her eyes. She opened her mouth to object, but Severus beat her to it. "Don't say anything, Diana. I have to do this." She shook her head at him in obvious disapproval, and he smiled slightly. "Minerva says the same thing. You two should compare notes sometime."

"We do," Diana replied with a tearful smile, "every week. You're always on the agenda." She swallowed and looked up at him. "How is she, Severus—truthfully?"

Severus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She'll be all right, Diana. Your mum's a tough lady."

Blue eyes narrowed. "You're avoiding the question."

"If you don't believe me, then why don't we check to see if you'll be allowed to see her yet?"

Still eyeing him suspiciously, Diana nodded. Severus noted with a slight pang that she had begun to toy with her hands again. There were severe disadvantages to having people know you well.

Without a word, Severus gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly. Diana stiffened within his embrace but he refused to let her go. Finally she relaxed, shedding a few bitter tears into the fabric of his new robes. Her suppressed sobs shook her entire body and she gasped for breath, now crying freely into his shoulder.

Severus sighed softly. "It will be all right," he promised again, wondering if he had gained the capacity for the repetition of inane sentiments from his time with the Death Eaters. He held her, stroking her back gently, until her tears were temporarily spent. For a moment she simply relaxed against his chest, breathing deeply. When she was ready to face the world again she straightened, releasing the fistful of his robes she had clutched in her frenzy. With a teary smile she smoothed out the folds of his robes, wiped her eyes, and then nodded to him.

"_Finite incantatum._"

"Oh good, you're done," Molly said when they reappeared. "The nurse says we can't see them," she informed them frostily, shooting a glare at the brown-haired mediwitch standing by the door.

They both turned to look at the white-robed woman. "I'm sorry, but only family is allowed to see them."

"Good," Diana replied, pulling herself together. "Come on, Severus." Without waiting for a reply she headed for the door, catching his hand and dragging him along. "Which room?" she asked the mediwitch abruptly.

"But you're not—and he's not—"

"Yes, I am," Diana snapped angrily. "And so is he. Now, _which room are they in?_" Severus thought it was the underlying threat of violence in her voice, rather than her claim, that won them the information.

"255."

Either way, they were out of the room and down the hall before the woman had a chance to get another word out.

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A/N: As my beta noted, let the rumors in the Order fly! 

Reviews are always appreciated, even if my mom gets madder because I spend more time "hooked on the computer" and typing like mad.


	12. In Room 255

_Chapter Twelve: In Room 255_

A/N: At long last (I'm so sorry, guys!) and without futher ado, I present chapter 12 in answer to the question "how are they?"

Thanks to my beta, Flying Auk, who as always reprimanded me for shorting on the description. Hope you like it better now!

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Minerva blinked painfully and drew in a ragged, rasping breath. Eyes gently closed, she carefully catalogued her injures in an all-too-familiar routine. Her chest was terribly sore again, and although her breath rattled in her body, she no longer felt as though her lungs would collapse in flames at any moment. Her right arm throbbed in time with her heartbeat, but she knew that the shattered bone fragments had been refused and were now safely encased in a tight cast, as was her left leg, which merely itched. Best of all, for the first time in seven days Minerva felt _clean_. It was wonderful. 

With a little sigh of contentment she slid a little farther to the right and nestled her head against her companion's shoulder, leaning back into his chest. A gentle hand brushed back her hair and then pulled her closer. Eyes still closed, Minerva smiled slightly. Having Albus beside her was better than all the medicine in St. Mungo's, and thankfully her primary care physician and old friend knew it well. Having a husband who was quite handy with wandless magic take down the bars and merge the beds while the nurse was out didn't hurt, either.

Someone knocked on the door quietly, and Minerva resisted the urge to groan. The intruder opened it after a moment's silence. Minerva pretended to be asleep—if the mediwizards wanted to poke her again, they would have to wake their patient first.

She heard light footsteps as one—no, two—figures moved towards her bed, the door swinging shut behind them. Neither spoke, but Minerva's Animagus-enhanced ears caught a sharp intake of breath and some agitated rustling of robes. What was wrong? _All right, you win_. _I'm curious, _she admitted, opening her eyes slowly as they adjusted to the light.

"Oh _God_," a familiar voice choked. Minerva's eyes flew open; beside her, she heard Albus stir.

"Diana?" Minerva croaked hoarsely, reaching out with her left hand blindly. _How did she get here? _Behind her she could feel Albus rising, helping her into an upright position firmly braced against his chest.

"I'm here, Mum," her daughter sobbed, catching Minerva's hand in both of hers immediately. "Oh God, Mum, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Mum," she finished in a whisper, tears streaming down her face.

_Oh, Diana…you're too much like both of us for your own good. _Minerva looked down at her daughter and smiled slightly, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "It wasn't your fault, darling."

Diana shook her head furiously. "I should have helped. I should've found out and come for you. I never should have left in the first place and—"

"—And let your mother be captured by your enemies, just as I did?" Albus interrupted, the lightness of his tone belying the serious self-condemnation in his eyes. Minerva turned to face him sharply, disapproval written across her features, but he ignored her, his attention fixed upon their daughter.

"But you didn't," Diana replied instantly, looking up at her father with a frown. "You'd never let anything happen to Mum…" Diana trailed off, finally understanding the significance in his regard, even as she registered the sharp flash of self-castigation.

"There's more than enough self-blame in this family to go around," Minerva declared. "Let it go," she ordered firmly, staring down both her husband and her daughter in turn. After a minute both nodded reluctantly, a light color in Diana's cheeks and a little pallor in Albus's. _Just like the fifth years, _Minerva thought with a slight smile. "That includes you, too, Severus," she added without turning around.

Minerva heard Diana's laughter as she turned around to face Severus, and knew instantly what she would find. Indeed, the young man's dark eyes were wide and more than a little incredulous. Severus composed his face almost immediately, but all three Dumbledores were already smiling.

Severus raised an eyebrow archly. "Me, Minerva? Unlike you three _Gryffindors_" he drawled, lips quirking slightly as he attempted not to smile, "we Slytherins don't bother blaming ourselves for events beyond our control." Albus, Minerva, and Diana looked at each other. The youngest shrugged slightly, wordlessly acknowledging the indisputable truth; the eldest smiled knowingly at the speaker. "On the other hand, when those events go in our favor, of course _we _planned them."

Albus laughed outright; the two ladies glared them. Severus smirked at them all.

Even Severus Snape conceded defeat, however, when Minerva reiterated herself after his performance anyway. A moment's silence had fallen before Minerva spoke, the marked gravity of her voice giving them pause. "My capture was You-Know-Who's—oh, all right," she grumbled, looking at Albus, "—_Voldemort's_ fault. _Only_ Voldemort's fault." Her green eyes met Diana's, Albus's, and Severus's in turn. Every one of them dropped her gaze.

Minerva smiled in satisfaction. _Good._ "Thank you," she said softly, turning to Severus, who stood watching her in slight confusion. "Thank you for saving my life—and for keeping my daughter away from danger." Severus nodded solemnly in acknowledgement; beside him, Diana's eyes blazed but she remained strangely silent, staring instead at the white gauze bandages that bound Minerva's chest.

Minerva resisted the urge to shout; breathing was difficult enough. "Is it wrong for me to want to keep you safe?" she asked her daughter quietly.

"Yes!" Diana exclaimed heatedly, taking a sharp breath when she realized what she had done. Seeing Minerva's unmoved expression, she continued in a quieter, though equally animated voice. "You didn't try to keep _Severus _away from danger! You were…you could have been…" Diana struggled with the thought and Minerva's heart constricted painfully at her daughter's stricken expression. "You didn't tell me!" she shouted finally. "Severus is a—he works for Dad doing Merlin-knows-what _every day. _You get _kidnapped_ and nobody thinks to _tell me_?"

All three of them observed her calmly and said nothing.

"Dad?" Diana asked tearfully, a mix of disbelief and anger dominating her expression.

Albus hesitated. "I love you," he told Diana, the open honesty in his manner making his daughter swallow hard. "I'm your father. It's my job to keep you safe. No matter how I do it," he finished, meeting his daughter's eyes without a hint of remorse.

"What about Mum?" Diana asked, knowing a dead end when she saw one. Minerva's ears perked up and she looked at her husband questioningly, intrigued.

"Sweetheart, if I thought your mother would let me get away with it, I'd have her in France with you in a heartbeat, safely installed in a house with twice as many wards as you let me put on your flat." Diana's eyes widened fractionally; Minerva raised an eyebrow. Albus had put a record _twenty-two _wards on Diana's flat, each more complex and powerful than the last, making their little girl's flat quite possibly the safest place in France. "Actually, we _do _have a house there," Albus suggested mildly. Minerva looked at him sharply.

"No." Her voice was adamantine. The two professors stared at each other and the room suddenly shrunk in size. Minerva's chin was lifted, defiant, as she faced down her husband. Albus's expression was desperate, pleading, as he reached for her hands.

_Minerva, please!_

_No. _Minerva set her jaw determinedly. _Never._

_He knows about you now, _Albus said, swallowing, the pain etched across his face shaking her resolve._ It's too dangerous for you to stay here now._

_Hogwarts is safe._

There was an infinitesimal pause. _No, it's not, _Albus said softly. Minerva's heart twinged. She knew how much it had cost Albus to admit that.

_It's the safest place in __England, _Minerva asserted calmly, touching his arm in a show of support.

Albus shook his head. _It's not nearly safe enough anymore._

Minerva's face darkened. _If it's safe enough for Harry, then it's safe enough for me_, she challenged, frowning deeply.

_No._ Now it was Albus's turn to become stone.

Minerva's eyes narrowed. _So Hogwarts is safe enough for a half-trained boy but not for an ex-Unspeakable? We've been over this before. I'm not leaving you._

_Things have changed. They _know _now. They'll be after you as my _wife, _not just because you're my second. _He paused for a moment; her expression remained unyielding. _I can't risk losing you, Minerva!_ Albus exclaimed, throwing his hands up. She heard a rustle of cloth as someone started at Albus's sudden violence.

_Like I risk losing you? _she countered immediately. _We've talked about this before. We agreed to keep our marriage a secret because you wanted to protect me. That's never protected _you, _Albus__. The risks haven't changed, not for me. The only way I'm leaving you in this life is dead. _

Albus flinched and looked away, breaking their connection. From the corner of her eye, Minerva saw Diana whispering to Severus, who relaxed a little, though he still eyed Albus warily.

Albus sighed deeply and Minerva returned her attention to her husband. _Minerva, I can't…I can't do this without you. _Again, she faltered a little at the unadulterated truth in his words, knowing them as nothing less than the defining aspect of the part of his soul that belonged solely to her.

_You won't have to, _she replied firmly. _I'm not leaving you. Ever._

_Minerva, please! _Albus tried one last time to persuade her, reaching out to her in supplication.

_Never._

The flash of agony that tore across his features at her final declaration was like a knife to the heart. Minerva reached up to cup Albus's face gently, asking him to look at her. "I love you,_" _she whispered gently.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, then caught her hand and pressed it to his lips. _And I love you. God, Minerva, how I love you. _The blaze in his blue eyes was everything she had dreamed of as a girl, everything she could still barely believe she had. They drew closer—

"We're going now," their daughter announced loudly. Albus and Minerva started, blinked, and then turned to face their nervous child, identical smiles appearing on their faces as they realized the source of her discomfort.

"Right now," Severus muttered, shaking his head in disgust. The slight color in his cheeks betrayed him, however, and their smiles widened appreciably.

Albus laughed. "Can it be true? I do believe that Severus is actually embarrassed by us, Minerva!"

"I'm always embarrassed by you," Severus muttered grouchily, glaring at both of them. Much to his chagrin, Albus only laughed harder.

"Are you sure you want to go? We'll behave," Minerva promised, the hint of mischief in her voice alarming her daughter even more.

"Yes," Diana confirmed hurriedly. "We'll go tell the other Order members that you're all right and then come see you in the morning, all right?"

"That's fine, sweetheart," Albus said to Diana while looking at Minerva.

"Sleep well, Mum, Dad," Diana said, giving them each a kiss on the cheek in turn. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Severus and Diana were out the door in seconds. Minerva laughed as the door closed behind them and turned to Albus. "Now, where were we?" she asked, smiling.

"Just about to go to bed, I believe," Albus replied blandly, his eyes twinkling madly.

"Oh, yes," Minerva replied, leaning back against the pillows—and Albus—with a yawn. "Goodnight, Albus."

"Goodnight, Minerva." She smiled at the smile in his voice, and they drifted off to sleep together.

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A/N: So, what'd you think? Didn't want the long thanks to get in the way of the story, but I haven't forgotten: 

Many thanks to bigkihap, Silverthreads (doubt my mom would believe me), foci (nicest review I've gotten yet! and of course you're right), DumbledoresKitten (you're right about Diana and Remus--he _did _nearly kill Severus, after all), TabbyMin, mmcgonagall, SolaTira (the jury's still out on the Severus/Diana--my beta thinks (and I agree) that it's cliche), JoanneM, Leta McGotor, Windsib, girlfromiceland, Lady Urguentha, Lizella and kidarock for their reviews! You guys are great!


	13. Twenty Minutes

_Chapter Thirteen: Twenty Minutes_

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to post! My beta got it back to me last night, but the stupid site wouldn't let me on...Anyways, here's chapter 13:

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Diana managed to slip out into the hallway and close the door before she began to shake. She crossed her arms in an attempt to control her trembling and leaned back against the door weakly, biting her lower lip. 

"What's wrong now?" Severus asked, the hint of irritation in his voice masking his genuine confusion and concern. When she continued to shiver uncontrollably and failed to reply, he sighed and raised his arms slightly to her in silent invitation. Diana once again buried her face in his chest, immensely comforted by his solidity.

"What is it?" he repeated, more gently.

"It's just…it's too much," Diana choked, clinging to him like a limpet as she trembled violently from head to toe.

"Hush," Severus said, patting her back awkwardly. "They're fine."

"I know," she replied tearfully, her words muffled slightly by the folds of his robes. "It's just that—it could have—what if—"

"Don't do that, Diana," he told her sharply. "You'll drive yourself madder than you already are."

She drew in a shuddering breath and looked up to glare at him. "You're unbelievable."

"I know," Severus replied modestly, his lips contorted oddly as he hid a smirk.

Diana's eyes widened and she shook her head. "I just—Severus…"

He sighed deeply. "I know," he said. "_They're fine. _Remember that."

She nodded mutely, her trembling decreasing slowly. At long last she took a deep breath and stepped away, straightening. "Thank you for understanding," she said softly. "I'm sorry—I don't know what's gotten into me."

He shook his head as if to dismiss her apology, and then smirked at her. "You're just like your mother."

"I'll take that as compliment," Diana replied airily, flashing him a small smile. "Shall we see to the others now?"

Severus grimaced, but followed her down the hallway back to the room.

Mrs. Weasley, Diana noted with warmth, rose the moment they entered the room. "How are they?" the red-headed woman asked anxiously.

Diana smiled. "They'll be fine. They're tired, of course, but they'll be all right. They were well enough to tease Severus," she added mischievously, glancing over at the man in question.

He glared at her, crossed his arms, and refused to comment.

_Oh, Severus. You're impossible._

No response. The man _was _impossible.

"That's good news," Mrs. Weasley said happily. Behind her, Mr. Weasley smiled in relief; Mr. Lupin relaxed slightly. "Can we see them?"

Diana's eyes widened and she hesitated. "They've just gone to bed," Severus interrupted smoothly. "Perhaps tomorrow, Molly." Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned back to speak with her husband. Diana shot Severus a grateful look.

_Nice save._

_Save? It was the truth. Your parents were going to bed. _The gleam in his dark eyes left no doubt as to what he was insinuating.

_Severus! My mother's _hurt, _you git! _Diana exclaimed, blue eyes wide in outrage.

_Well, would you care to explain why we left so soon? _he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Diana closed her mouth abruptly and shot him an evil look. _Oh, just shut up, Severus!_

His shoulders shook slightly and Diana's glare intensified.

Suddenly, the door banged opened from behind them. Startled back into the present, Diana and Severus turned to watch as strange young woman in blue Auror robes strode in. "So what's going—what're you doing here?" she asked, breaking off to stare at Diana suspiciously.

Diana went cold. How did Severus do this every day? "I came to see if the professors were all right," she replied honestly. Diana did not miss the interested looks coming from the Weasleys and Lupin.

The Auror's eyes narrowed. "And you are?" the young woman demanded rudely.

"Diana Rowe," Diana replied congenially, offering the Auror her hand and pausing in obvious anticipation.

"Nymphadora Tonks," the young woman ground out, shaking Diana's hand as briefly as propriety allowed. Diana relaxed fractionally. _Black's cousin, the Metamorphmagus_. _The one who breaks everything, _she thought with a hint of a smile.

Tonks glanced over at Lupin, leaning against the back wall. "Who is she?"

Lupin shrugged. "I've no idea," he admitted truthfully, making Diana smile. Tonks bristled visibly, and with a start, Diana looked over at Severus questioningly.

_I don't know and I don't care, _he snapped in response to her inquiry, mouth twisted in distaste. _Merlin knows that they're both stupid enough to suit each other wonderfully._

Diana chuckled softly under her breath, hiding a smile. _Well, there's only one way to find out for sure…_

As expected, Severus rose to the bait. _Don't you dare, Diana! Lupin's a— _Severus broke off with an audible growl and Diana was forced to bite her lip to keep from laughing._ Even stupid Metamorphmagi make useful spies. It won't help the Order if you turn her into a squirrel._

_You always ruin my fun, Severus, _Diana said petulantly, inwardly grateful for the familiar distraction his pointed banter provided.

_Well, if you'd stop acting like a little girl and more like the adult I don't think you ever grew into—_

_Oh, shut up, Severus. You—_

"So," Lupin interrupted from behind them, "are you going to explain to us who you are and why you're here? I didn't know that Albus and Minerva had any living family, other than his brother."

Diana paused. She had not been given permission, and her parents had enough to worry about at the moment. She turned around. "They don't. I lied," she said shortly. Severus let out a short bark of laughter; the others frowned at them. "I'm the daughter of Minerva's oldest friend," Diana began. _That's technically true, _she thought_. None of Mum's friends are older than Dad. _"She died when I was quite young, so Minerva raised me. She's the closest thing that I have to a mother."

"What was her name?" Lupin asked quietly.

"Serena Rowe," Diana replied, allowing a hint of regret to creep into her voice. She barely remembered the woman who had agreed to play her "mother," but her mother and other aunts always spoke of the mysterious Serena fondly.

Diana was very, very lucky. None of the Order members present had known Serena personally, but Molly Weasley had often heard her mother speak fondly of her old friend. "Serena Rowe…that's right. She was a Slytherin, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Diana replied, smiling.

"What house were you in?" Lupin asked curiously.

Severus snorted. "Gryffindor, of course," he spat, answering the question for her. "She'd never make a Slytherin."

_Oh, _reallyDiana drawled in a manner fairly reminiscent of Severus, raising an eyebrow at him. _What about that time when I made you think that you'd—_

_Diana! _Severus exclaimed, dark eyes tinged with alarm.

_Never say never, _she replied, smirking. Diana turned back to the rest of the Order, blanching when she realized that they had all watched their little exchange with interest. _Uh oh…_

"How are you two related?" Mrs. Weasley asked strangely.

Diana frowned at her, puzzled. "We're not."

"So you lied about being related, too?" Mrs. Weasley said disapprovingly, still with an odd note in her voice that Diana did not understand.

"Well, yes and no. I mean, we're not related, but Severus is family, of course," Diana replied easily, missing Severus's frantic gestures of negation. She turned to him with a smile, recalling his reaction to her mother's words, and frowned at the stark horror on his face. Severus was staring at the others behind her, however, and did not meet her eyes. Puzzled, Diana turned back to the Order.

As if electrocuted by her gaze, Mrs. Weasley blinked and stared at the two of them incredulously. Behind her, Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley were gaping at them. "What is it?" Diana asked, genuinely confused.

"Why didn't you just tell us that you two were married?"

Now it was Diana's turn to choke. _"What?"_

"You're not married?"

"No!" they shouted simultaneously, startling each other.

Black eyes met blue. _Would being married to me be that terrible?_

_No, of course not—I didn't mean it that way, I just…_

"Why would you think that?" Diana asked Mrs. Weasley abruptly.

The red-haired woman looked between the two of them slowly, shook her head, and then turned back to Diana. "You said that Severus was family. We had some time to discuss this after you had left. You two seemed so close that it just seemed—"

"We're _not _married!" Diana stated heatedly. Mrs. Weasley simply observed her evenly, and Diana resisted the urge to growl. Throwing her hands up in frustration, she turned back to Severus. _It's not that I don't love you, Severus, but honestly! Don't people believe that a man and a woman can be platonic friends anymore?_

_Obviously not, _Severus replied dryly, smirking at her.

_Damn Slytherin, _Diana thought grouchily. She nearly growled at him when his smirk widened. _Stop reading my mind!_

_It's not _my _fault that you're too emotional to shield properly, _he retorted.

_Severus Salazar Snape, stay _out _of my_—

"I apologize for the mistake," Mrs. Weasley said.

Reigning in her anger as she turned to face her, Diana shook her head and smiled slightly. "At least you thought I was his wife—the last time we ran into Severus's friends, they thought I was his whore," she said lightly, ignoring the horrified look that came across Mrs. Weasley's face; whether from the woman's knowledge of Severus's "friends" or the thought, Diana did not know.

_These are _not _my friends, _Severus growled at her.

_Those weren't your friends, either, _she reminded him pointedly. Seeing him recoil sharply, she paused. Granted, she had enjoyed winning the point back, but from Severus a reaction like that always meant…

"Not now," Severus said firmly, whispering into her ear and startling Diana. Looking at Lupin, he announced in a louder voice, "If you want to get Potter, he's at Headquarters."

"Potter—Harry?" Lupin questioned quickly, amber eyes narrowing.

"He had to be kept out of the way," Severus replied disdainfully. "If you have any questions, you can address them to Miss Granger when you get there."

"Hermione?" Mr. Weasley said, puzzled.

"Ronald should be there as well." Now it was the Weasleys' turn to frown at him. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" he asked pointedly.

"We're going to talk about this later, Severus. In great detail," Lupin promised, his anger and frustration clear.

"Looking forward to it," Severus answered challengingly.

Unable to reprimand him mentally while he was glaring at Lupin and unwilling to do so aloud, Diana held her tongue.

"As will we," Mr. Weasley said disapprovingly. "They are secure?"

"Yes." For a brief moment, Diana wondered if Severus had been insulted by the question. She knew better than that.

"You're staying here?"

"Yes," Diana replied clearly. Severus shrugged.

"We'll see you tomorrow then," Mrs. Weasley said. "Diana, dear, it was nice to meet you. Until tomorrow, Severus."

They nodded at the others as they exited the room, Tonks last of all. The young woman shot a skeptical look at them as she left, but said nothing. Then, thankfully, they were alone.

A few flicks of her wand transfigured the wooden chairs into more comfortable chintz armchairs. Ignoring Severus's scornful snort, Diana fell into one of the chairs with a small sigh, instantly comforted by the familiar squishiness. Severus seated himself uneasily in the chair opposite hers, and Diana was suddenly struck by the thought that perhaps her father's favorite furniture evoked other memories for him.

It was too late for second thoughts. She cast a few more spells at the door, noting with mild alarm that Severus continued to stare at an invisible spot on the wall.

"Severus?" Diana inquired softly. "Are you going to tell me?"

For a long minute he remained completely silent, and she feared that he might shut her out entirely. She was about to apologize when he spoke suddenly, and from darkness.

"I killed Lucius to save Minerva."

She knew instantly that he did not consider it a fair trade. _Oh Merlin, this is worse than I'd thought._

_

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_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! (Short thanks 'cause I gotta go to school now.) 

In resonse to foci's question: Well, I figured that Minerva and Diana would _have _to know Legilimency, just in case they were ever questioned. They know too much, and Albus could easily teach them. Diana's probably inherited some Legilimens gene anyway. And I'm just having too much fun with it.

My beta says I'm getting too much into Severus-fic and less into AD/MM. Sorry! Will get back to them next chapter. Lucius fallout will wait.

And reviews are always appreciated!


	14. Recurring Nightmares

_Chapter Fourteen: Recurring Nightmares_

Something pricked him in his sleep: a sharp, cold feeling that woke him abruptly and left an unpleasant feeling in his gut. Albus's blue eyes opened slowly, a slight frown upon his face. Dismissing his unease as some kind of post-traumatic anxiety, he attempted to return to sleep but abandoned all attempts when he caught the rasping intake of breath from the woman beside him.

Concerned, Albus rolled over to look at Minerva and felt his heart drop: though her eyes were tightly closed, she was clearly terrified. Her body was tense and unnaturally still, her left hand clenched into a fist pressed into her chest.

"Minerva?" Albus asked gently. The woman shuddered slightly but gave him no sign of recognition. Now greatly alarmed and quite worried about his wife, Albus tried again, reaching out a hesitant hand towards her shoulder. "Minerva?"

She started at his touch, flinching away like a wild thing, her eyes flying open as she stared at him in terror. Albus quickly suppressed his flash of hurt at her reaction with his worry. "Minerva? It's me, Albus. You're safe," he tried again, making sure to keep his voice reassuring and even.

She shuddered violently and continued staring at him wide-eyed. Her obvious fear of him stabbed Albus in a way nothing else had; neither Tom's cruel words nor Minerva's anguished face at his arrival had hurt quite like this. For a brief moment he felt a surge of pure, unadulterated hatred for the monster that had reduced his Minerva to this.

She flinched visibly at the anger in his face. "You're not real," she said shakily, trying to shift as far away from him as possible. "You're not real…"

"Min—" Albus began hesitantly, unsure of how to proceed.

"No! You're not him! Leave me alone!" Minerva cried, shaking violently now. "I won't tell you anything!"

Albus's heart constricted painfully. "I know," he said quietly, the pain in his voice stopping Minerva short. Her head snapped up and she looked at him incredulously. For a brief second, a flash of recognition shone in her eyes, only to be quickly extinguished.

"No…" she whimpered, cringing away from him and further into herself. "No more."

Albus grasped then, in full, exactly how Tom had attempted to extract information from Minerva after the traditional methods had failed. Since he had been unable to get anything out of her as himself, he had tried to do it as Albus—and probably everyone Minerva had ever known. Albus was nauseated by the thought of what had been done to Minerva by someone in his form. She had never been particularly good at shielding out projections, and though he knew that Tom had never broken her mind, the continual strain of keeping her shields up for seven days straight, probably without much food or water, and with all the injuries that the mediwitch had catalogued…

"Merlin, I'm so sorry, Minerva," he whispered, closing his eyes and turning away in momentary defeat. He had failed her magnificently. No one but the _great_ _Albus Dumbledore _could have—

Albus's eyes flew open at the familiar, feather-light touch that flitted across his cheek. "Minerva?"

"A—Albus?" she asked hesitantly, observing him with a mixture of fear and hope that would have been comical had he not been so close to tears.

"Minerva." Unwilling to allow Tom another moment's victory, Albus simply enveloped her in his arms, careful of her injuries, and opened his heart to her. She stiffened at his touch and nearly cried out, but he would not allow her to leave. This was harder and far less clear than using Legilimency, more feelings than words, but it was the only form of communication that could never be falsified. It was how they had always communicated, long before they used the parlor tricks he had taught her, before they fully knew what they were doing. It was a level far beyond that of the mind, for just as their magics were connected, so were their hearts. _Minerva It's me I love you I'm sorry I should've come for you Never should have let you stay Love you so much Please Sorry Love you…_

Albus could feel her struggle with his onslaught and sent her one last truth, so simple that it could never be garbled, yet so absolute that in telling her, he gave her all that he was in that instant. _I. Love. You. _

She froze and looked up to meet his eyes. Emerald and sapphire sparkled and shone as she allowed him past her shields. _I love you, Minerva. Forever and always._

_Albus._ There was no doubt in her tone, only relief and affection. Minerva finally collapsed, spent and weeping softly, against his welcoming arms.

When she had quieted, Albus asked her gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She tensed in his arms, relaxing again as he traced soothing circles on her back as he had done for Diana as a baby. "No, but you need to hear it and I need to tell it." The trace of her usual humor reassured him slightly, but he knew that he would hate whatever she said next. She expressed her desire to him, and with a wave of his hand Albus rearranged the pillows behind her and propped her up against them, drawing back a little to observe her properly.

"You found out how I was taken," she asserted. Albus nodded: he had gotten the name of every person in the square that day, copies of all twenty-eight testimonials and the Auror's report through quasi-legal channels, and had grilled the poor Order members until they began actively avoiding him. "I was thrown into a cell in the basement of a manor—a different one from the one you found me in. They took me to see You-Know—_Voldemort_ the next morning." Minerva trembled a little as she said the monster's chosen name; Albus took her hand encouragingly. "I can't—will you watch it?" she asked him quietly.

Albus nodded despite his misgivings. If she had lived it, he could watch it. _Just remember that she's here now. She's safe._

_**flashback**_

She was roughly hooded and then taken away by portkey. Her feet had barely touched the ground when the bag was ripped from her head and she stumbled forward—straight towards the smiling monster seated before her. "Ah, Minerva, it's good to see you again."

Minerva looked over at the…_creature_ before her and silenced the urge to shiver. "I wish I could say the same for you, Tom." She would call him Tom because she had known him as such—and because he hated it—but he no longer bore any resemblance to the boy she had known. He was no longer even remotely human.

Voldemort laughed harshly. "Are you _afraid _of me, Minerva?"

"No," she replied steadily, meeting his red eyes with only the slightest hesitation.

Voldemort smiled evilly. "You lie."

Minerva's green eyes flashed in anger and alarm and she slammed her mental shields down forcefully. Voldemort winced as he was thrown bodily from her mind hard enough to toss him back against his seat with a thump. Two of his followers rushed forward thoughtlessly, but he drove them back with a wave of his hand. He frowned angrily at Minerva, who was enjoying a brief moment of victory.

"So he's taught you Occulmency, has he?" Voldemort whispered softly. Then he began to smile, and Minerva's heart dropped into her stomach. "Well then, let's see if the old man's as bad a teacher now as he was fifty years ago…" Voldemort descended the dais swiftly and grabbed Minerva's chin roughly, forcing her to face him.

She met his rage-red eyes and _screamed—_

_**end flashback**_

Albus was brought out of Minerva's memory abruptly, echoes of her agony still ringing in his mind.

"I told him nothing," she said softly, the tremors in her voice and body so slight that Albus inferred them there.

"I know," he replied, pained. "I know." What could he say? Albus stared at his hands. His clean, unmarked, unbroken hands. _Seven days…_

"I want to teach Harry," she said suddenly.

"All right." He did not look up. What did it matter anymore? Harry could not betray their secret now—it had already been done. And Minerva had paid the price for it. _They will pay for this, _he thought vengefully, filled with an anger that had been unfamiliar before her kidnapping. _They will pay dearly for this._

"The manor you mentioned—the first one—whose was it?" Albus asked Minerva carefully.

"I think that it was Malfoy's," she admitted. Minerva did not miss the flash of fury that darted across Albus's features. "I can't tell you for certain," she added quickly. "He was careful never to allow me to see him without a mask."

"You knew his scent, though." It was not a question.

"Yes."

"I'll—" Albus stopped abruptly as another thought occurred to him.

He had not hid his satisfaction well enough. "What did you do to him?" Minerva asked warily, her lips thinning.

"I did nothing to Malfoy." 

Minerva continued watching him expectantly.

Albus sighed. "Severus beat me to it."

She gasped. "What?"

"Severus killed Malfoy in the gardens while we were escaping."

Minerva's tear-filled green eyes told of a tragedy. Albus wondered at her reaction to the death of one of Voldemort's Inner Circle, but all the pieces fell into place with her next words. "Oh, Severus…"

Albus's eyes widened in realization. _Severus…

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A/N: It's a bridge and a reminder and not much ofa chapter, I know. Sorry. My beta's got exams and I've got APs, so I think I might have to wait till like May 10th to start writing again. I'll try my best to make up for it then, though._

My thanks to Silverthreads, foci (tried to briefly answer your question), kyer, duj, Marleen (I may ship Severus/Diana some other time...), and Lady Urguentha. Next chapter will follow the Lucius fallout and will hopefully explain more of Severus's current mindset.

Please review!


	15. Losing Lucius

_Chapter Fifteen: Losing Lucius_

A/N: I am terribly, horribly sorry that it's taken me so long to update. The AP exams had me busy for awhile and then this chapter was causing difficulties.

My most sincere thanks to Silverthreads, bigkihap, Lena, Lady Urguentha, Kidarock, miss mcGonagle, Lou. McGonagall, Subbulakshmi, Jedi Knight Padme, zephiey, and foci (twice!).

And, of course, to my beta Flying Auk, who saved this chapter (and probably the story).

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Diana looked nervously over at Severus's hunched form, her heart aching for him. He was staring at a point just over her shoulder, the angular planes of his face creating a look so severe that it was almost caricatured in quality. The twisted combination of grief, self-condemnation and disgust she saw playing across his features instantly squelched the tiny flare of vicious joy that had leapt up when the realization struck that _Lucius Malfoy—_that cunning, smiling devil of a man who represented the highest class of the cesspools of humanity—was finally dead. 

To take that look off his face, however, Diana would have done anything—even brought back the pernicious bastard who had plagued her father…and who had been Severus's best friend since he was seven. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, already knowing his answer.

"No." His reply was quick, curt, and quite sharp. _Defensive_, she characterized it immediately, shoving down the hurt caused by his automatic, though expected, rejection. His frown—and hers—deepened.

"Severus…" Diana hesitated and bit her lip, unsure as to how to approach him. Lucius had been his best friend—albeit an _evil _best friend—and Severus had always cared deeply for the few people he let into his life. The rest of the world could hang, but Severus would have hung the world to save his friends—even if he would never admit it.

"What happened?" she inquired softly, resisting the urge to reach out and wrap her arms around him.

The quick flash of irritation that darted across his face was matched by a sudden tension in his shoulders, and the general air of recalcitrance that perpetually surrounded him doubled in intensity. Severus opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly, leaned back, and took a deep breath. The quickened step of her heartbeat was the only indication of her anxiety as Diana waited with uncharacteristic patience, knowing that pushing him further would only push him away.

It was a full minute before he spoke. "We were in the lower garden," he said dully. "The Dark Lord must have erected a special ward for Fawkes—the fireball was unable to materialize. We had to fight our way out of the mansion. We were almost out when…" he trailed off momentarily, the slight twitch in his right hand—his wand hand—the only indication of his thoughts.

"When Lucius came?" Diana prompted neutrally, struggling to control her revulsion. A monster like Malfoy did not _deserve_ a first name or friends like Severus, who obviously believed that there had been more to the man than cold ambition.

Severus nodded wordlessly, too absorbed in the memory to notice her internal division. "I didn't—I didn't know who it was at the time." He paused momentarily, his face tightening as he looked up at her. "I never gave him a chance." The slight change in his tone told her everything.

Diana's eyes widened fractionally; here was the root of Severus's internal anguish. "You _knew_ him, Severus. The good more than the bad. He never would have joined us," she said softly, reaching out to clasp one of hands gently.

"I should have given him the chance," he said flatly, pulling his hand away.

She shook her head in disbelief, drawing her rejected hand back and cradling it in her lap like a wounded bird. "Severus—"

"No," he interjected sharply. "Don't."

Diana sighed inwardly. She knew that it was Lucius who had drawn Severus into "the fold," Lucius who had helped him rise through its ranks, and Lucius whose cold-hearted cruelty and fanaticism had eventually driven Severus out of it and back to Hogwarts. Now it was Lucius he had killed to save her mother, the woman who had taken him in when he returned to Hogwarts, Lucius whom Severus had wanted…maybe even neededto save…for despite his other faults, Lucius _had_ been a good friend to Severus.

Diana paused, recalling one night in particular. The memory had been engraved in her mind, her one proof that the friend Severus remembered was not a figment of his imagination.

_She had come home to spend the holidays with her parents but was unable to shake a strange sense of unease as she neared Hogwarts. Her first warning came when Hagrid, and not her parents, met her at the gate. After twenty minutes of searching the castle, she finally found her mother in Severus's rooms, staring blankly into the fireplace. He had been called two days ago and still had not returned. They had spent the night pacing the grounds as if possessed, only to be driven in by a combination of pouring rain and direct orders from a responsible Headmaster just before midnight. _

_They were thus still awake when the booming knock on the front doors sounded, sending all three of them tumbling at full speed down the stairs, wands out. Her father quickly established order by pulling her mother aside and placing her out of sight with a few whispered words of caution. Diana took care of her own problem with a quick invisibility spell—combined with the invisibility cloak she had been wearing all day, even Alastor Moody would not have been able to see her. _

_So it was that Diana was standing behind her father when he opened the door. It was only her parents' rigorous training that kept her from dropping her wand in shock at the sight before her._

_A disheveled, dripping wet, and utterly expressionless Lucius Malfoy stood on the doorstep, an unconscious Severus Snape slung over his shoulder. Both were dressed in solid black and appeared sickly pale in the torchlight. _

All Malfoy had done was shove Severus roughly towards her father, who had caught him automatically. Diana had considered it the worst act of friendship she had ever witnessed. She had not understood it at the time, and had been consumed with fury as she rushed to Severus's side. He was alive but gravely wounded. By the time they had looked up, Malfoy was already halfway down the stairs.

"_Mr. Malfoy!" her father shouted at the retreating figure, his words muffled by the downpour._

_The tall blonde turned around slowly, and Diana shuddered at force of his imperious gaze. "Take care of him," Malfoy ordered softly, his words sliding under and around the rain to reach them clearly._

"_What about yo—" her father broke off abruptly as Severus groaned between them. By the time they looked up this time, Malfoy had disappeared into the dark._

Severus had survived the night and answered Voldemort's call again two weeks later in passable health. It was his comment, cool and calm in the midst of her outburst about Malfoy's callous behavior that had made Diana think, truly _think, _about their relationship. Two years later, she recalled his words exactly.

"_That was possibly the greatest declaration of love that Lucius has ever given to anyone." _

Diana had weaseled the full story out of her father. Malfoy had asked Voldemort—in the usual incomprehensible Slytherin way of strategic advantages and favors—for leniency on Severus's behalf. The Dark Lord had granted the request—by sharing Severus's "punishment" with his friend. Furthermore, in bringing Severus back to Hogwarts, Malfoy had risked both their lives and his reputation.

It left Diana flummoxed. Malfoy had saved Severus's life a number of times; Diana had lost count of how many times Severus had returned the favor. She did know, however, that no matter what the score was between them, Severus had planned on saving his "last" favor for getting Lucius out of Azkaban after the war was over.

That would never happen now, and only Severus would mourn the potential the world had lost. Diana swallowed. "Severus, I…I'm sorry." The words were insufficient to deal with the depth and complexity of the emotions rolling off the man before her, playing themselves across the harsh edges of his face and echoing in the dark pools of his eyes.

Severus blinked and observed her levelly, his face suddenly expressionless. "For what?"

Diana's blue eyes teared. "For…for your loss. For you. For everything," she choked out, her vision blurring at the edges as she felt the echoes of his agony cascade over her in pounding waves. Exhaustion and mutual comfort in the presence of a friend was lowering their mental barriers.

"Useless platitudes are unnecessary, Diana," Severus replied sharply. His hands however—his one consistent tell—were clenched tightly in his lap, white-knuckled and bloodless.

Frustrated, Diana searched for the words, for the language that would allow him to accept her sympathy and understanding—and could find none. "I…I'm so sorry, Severus," she repeated, "I know you loved him." Diana's breath froze as she realized what she had said, her exhaustion having overwhelmed the locks on her tongue.

At her words, Severus's entire body stiffened and within moments his eyes could have given diamonds a lesson in hardness. Black ice glimmered briefly, a shadowed light from a blackened soul, and then vanished into nothingness. Diana flinched as he slammed down his mental barriers, roughly severing their tentative connection. She sat there staring at him, stunned by the force of his reaction and waited for the sky to fall.

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A/N: Reviews are always appreciated, guys! Thanks for reading, hope you're enjoying it. 


	16. Love, Hate, and War

_Chapter Sixteen: Love, Hate, and War_

A/N: My thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and for your patience in waiting for this one. This chapter took me even longer than the last and there's still gaping holes in it (suggestions are always welcome). Many thanks to my beta Flying Auk for sticking with me through many painful revisions. Severus is not very easy to write (or deal with) when he's like this...

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"I hated Lucius Malfoy," Severus said icily, his words cutting and precise. His back was straight, his posture rigid and unyielding. The harshness of his profile stood in stark contrast to the squishy comfort of the armchair behind it. His black eyes were narrowed and hard, and Diana shivered slightly as his glare sliced through her, burning with a chill fury that left her feeling as though as ghost had just passed through. 

Diana took a deep breath and steeled herself, then deliberately lowered her mental barriers as she met his eyes in an attempt to reach out to him. She felt a strong pulse of _something_ from himtwisted and confused, yes, but undeniably _powerful._ It lasted only a moment, however, and a sudden flash of recognition and irritation was her only warning before Severus severed their connection, instantly cementing his mental defenses until they were adamantine. He glared at her again, and this time all she could sense from him was a mental wall a mile high and twice as thick, and smooth as ice.

"You loved him as well," Diana said simply, meeting his glare unerringly, now certain in what she had only guessed at earlier.

"_No_," Severus snapped, clenching his jaw painfully.

"No?" she questioned, looking at him sharply. Her blue eyes were probing, willing him to accept the truth.

His mouth twisted bitterly. "You cannot hate what you love, nor can you love what you hate."

"Love and hate are but two sides of the same coin," Diana pointed out, straightening slightly as their verbal sparring brought her back to more familiar ground.

"Regardless of its potential to express both, a coin can show only one face. The two are mutually exclusive," he responded quickly, his words chasing hers, a small flare of satisfaction showing as he sealed his argument.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Diana's mouth. _It is an odd relationship indeed_, she mused, _when both of us feel more comfortable arguing than talking. _Shaking off the thought, she considered the man before her and then grinned. "You, Severus, have always defied the rules. With you, the bloody coin would just land on its side, being neither one nor the other, but a rare combination of both." She looked over at him smugly.

Her grin faded at the utter disbelief in his expression. "Dammit, Diana!" Severus roared, leaping out of his chair and startling them both. "Lucius was a vicious, back-stabbing_ bastard,_" he growled, his right hand clenched into a fist again. Diana stared at him wide-eyed as he prowled three steps forward and three steps back before sliding back into the chair. His wince as he did so was little more than a flutter of his eyelids, but Diana caught it anyway.

"He was your friend," she said quietly, scarcely believing that she was defending_ Malfoy_ to _Severus_. When had they switched roles?

"He would have killed me!" Two pairs of startled eyes met. Apparently she was not the only one suffering from sleep deprivation.

"_What?_"

"Nothing," Severus muttered, waving his hand as though to brush away an irritating insect. "Never mind."

"Tell me," Diana demanded softly, reaching out again to place her hand on his knee. Their eyes locked for a long moment in a silent struggle; Severus looked away first, grinding out what Diana thought was "_blasted Dumbledores_."

"I would think that you would be used to us by now, Severus," she teased him lightly. Usually his aggrieved expression would have incited laughter on her part—but not today. Today, a shadow of a smile was all she could muster, tinged with sorrow and tainted with regret. "You live with Mum and Dad, after all, and you know that they'd never let you get away without dealing with something like this. You can talk to them later or you can talk to me now—it's your choice," she finished smoothly, her easy tone underlying the clear threat.

Black eyes narrowed as Diana leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap, secure in the truth. "What is it about you Dumbledores that you need to 'talk' everything out?" Severus sneered. "The three of you could start your own interrogation squad with all your damned obsessions about _feelings._"

"Your feelings are very important to us, Severus," Diana deadpanned.

He stared at her blankly for a moment and then let out a strangled bark of laughter. Diana ensured that her expression gave nothing away—it was a look she had learned from her father. The words were true, after all, and judging by the surprise and subsequent surrender on Severus's face, she had won the round.

A series of emotions played across his face in quick succession after that, too fast and too muddled for Diana to make any sense of them, but she could feel his shields lowering as the ice thinned and melted away. When all she sensed from him was a roiling cauldron of confusion, however, she abandoned all attempts to read him. Her words had led them here; it was time for his.

_Severus? _she asked hesitantly, and waited.

When the words from him finally came, they were delivered in a flat monotone as he stared at his hands, the long, spindly fingers lying in limp capitulation in his lap.

"If we had dueled, Lucius would have killed me," Severus admitted with a slight shrug. "He's always been—he always was the better duelist."

"But—"

"—I betrayed him," Severus cut in sharply. Diana did not miss the subtext, traces of the thought echoing around in her mind: _I betrayed him, and he had the right to kill me for that betrayal._ She had a sudden, frightening vision of how that particular duel would have gone. If her father had not intervened, Malfoy _would_ have killed Severus—and Severus would have _allowed_ it, mistakenly believing that he _deserved_ death.

"No," Diana said forcefully, shaking slightly with the force of her denial. Severus blinked at her, the urgency in her tone and the paleness of her face startling him. "_No_, Severus." **_No!_**

"Diana?" he asked cautiously, brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"_He_ betrayed your friendship when he asked you to join Voldemort," she hissed angrily, her eyes snapping blue fire. _How could you believe that _you _were the one to betray _him_? How could you possibly imagine that he deserved better than you? _

Her heart breaking as the fire of her anger dimmed, she looked into his eyes with a soul-deep sigh. _Damn it, Severus Snape, but you deserve better than this. _

Severus shook his head, but she was not about to let him object yet.

"He asked you to join the Death Eaters because Voldemort needed a Potions Master and he wanted the credit for recruiting you, not because he was worried for your safety. If he had truly been your friend, he would have told you to get as far away from here as possible," she declared, her eyes darkening in sorrow as she recalled the last time she had tried to persuade him to leave.

_It was a few days before the students left Hogwarts for Christmas. As always, Diana had returned to celebrate the holidays with her parents. In what she later recognized as momentary insanity, she had agreed to help Severus restock the student supply cabinets. As usual, they were arguing._

"_If you hate it here so much, then why don't you just _leave_?" she snapped finally, slamming down the jar of feverfew in her hand with a clang. He had been griping about the latest batch of Gryffindors for the last half an hour, and like her mother, Diana could only take so many insults about her house before some retaliation was in order. The poor children were probably terrified of the man, and yet he acted as though they were nothing more than a herd of raging hippogriffs out to destroy his classroom, undermine his authority, and mock his noble art. _

_Severus froze instantly, his hand halting inches before a half-empty jar of belladonna. "I can't," he said in a low voice, reaching up to take down the jar, popping open the lid with practiced ease. _

"_Why not?" Diana demanded stubbornly, pausing in her work to glare at his profile challengingly._

"_I can't," he answered stiffly, stuffing the jar with a handful of belladonna before returning it to the shelf and pulling the next one down. He refused to turn and face her._

"Why_?" she repeated, her voice growing louder. Diana gave up all pretense of work as she turned towards him and crossed her arms angrily._

"_The Dark Lord just doesn't release people from his service and wish them well on their next endeavor, Diana," he replied sarcastically, finishing up the last jar and turning to face her at last._

"_Who said you'd be _asking_ him?" she retorted smartly. "Just…leave."_

"_And go where?" he asked in disbelief._

_Diana paused. "You could always come to France with me," she offered quietly. "They would never find you."_

_Severus, too, hesitated. "I…appreciate your offer, Diana," he replied, his voice equally soft, "but I have an obligation to your father. He needs me."_

"_He would rather have you alive at the end of this war," she said flatly, frowning._

"_This war may not end the way you want if I don't stay here," he said sharply, the harsh expression on his face making her wince._

"_Severus, you don't have to—surely there must be another way—" Diana began hesitantly, reaching out towards him._

"_No," he interrupted flatly, and the look in his black eyes was cold. Diana dropped her hand back to her side. "There is no other way. I will remain here," he said harshly. Diana closed her eyes briefly and turned away. _

"_There is no other way," Severus repeated softly, a moment later. He shook himself a little, straightened, and then said abruptly, "Well, are you going to help me fill these jars or not? That blasted Longbottom boy wasted three whole jars of that feverfew you're supposed to be replacing."_

_Diana had turned back to the table without another word. She had not brought up the subject again._

"This is a war," Severus said bluntly, starling her out of her reverie. "We all do what we must."

Diana shook her head angrily. "That doesn't excuse him."

"Or me."

Diana shook her head again. "You're different," she replied instantly.

"How?" he asked immediately, raising an eyebrow.

Her mouth opened slightly. "I…it's…because…because you're _good_," she stammered finally, frustrated by her inability to explain how _fundamentally _different Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy were. Why couldn't he _see_?

Severus laughed outright. Diana glared at him, her cheeks slightly pink, and resisted the urge to rip down the remnants of his mental shields and _make _him see the truth. "You should visit more often, Diana. Every time you go away, your debating skills decrease exponentially. That's the most pathetic attempt at an explanation that I've ever heard, and given the number of _Gryffindors_ that I am forced to interact with on—"

"Shut up, Severus," she snapped, glaring at him.

His eyes regained some of their usual wicked sparkle as he laughed at her again, and Diana sighed inwardly. "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself," he said mockingly, waving his hand as if bestowing a grant.

"Why, thank you," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. _Git, _she sent with a glare He smirked at her. Diana wanted to slap him. Taking a deep breath, she marshaled her thoughts.

"I don't know if you could have killed him," she said abruptly. Severus's head snapped around and he stared at her as if struck.

"_What?_"

Diana let go, looked up, and met his eyes. _You loved him—your friend, your Lucius. No matter what he did, no matter who he killed, no matter who he betrayed—even _you_—you still loved him. You would not have fought him. This…his death…it was an accident. _

_Avada Kedarva is not an accident. _His mind's voice was razor sharp, brittle and bitter.

_You didn't know it was him. If you had, you would have found another way._

Severus gave no response.

_He would have fought you, Severus. _She left the outcome unspoken between them.

_No! _His response was automatic, heartfelt, and instantly bitter. She felt the walls go up between them immediately.

"You said it yourself," Diana reminded Severus gently.

There was silence in the room.

"You're _good_," she said slowly, willing him to look at her. "Everything you've done—everything you're doing—all the betraying, blackmailing, the spying, the killing—you're doing it for good. For other people—even Lucius. For the students. The Wizengamot. For the whole of the wizarding world—and for the Muggles, too, even if they don't know it."

"I do _nothing _for the bloody fools," he replied roughly.

Diana shrugged. _Regardless of your reasoning,you still end up trying to save the world. _She had tried to explain once before, but his Slytherin mind refused to grasp even the most basic concepts of Gryffindor ideals with anything but derision. "Very well, then. What _do_ you stay for?"

Severus froze again. "Debt."

She simply stared at him, waiting.

"Duty," he admitted.

She said nothing.

"Honor," he answered finally, with a sigh.

"Then that is what separates you from him," she replied honestly.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" he asked incredulously.

Diana looked at him with a small, sad smile. "What else is there?" _Oh, Severus, if only you could see it…_

She could see him thinking, turning the thought over and over in his mind in an infinite circle, his brow furrowed and his eyes distant. And she caught his last thought, clear and strong, tinged with grief alone.

_What else is there, indeed?_

_Oh, Severus…_

_

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_A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated! 

Sorry Andromakhe, in the interests of ending this fic eventually, I won't have Severus blaming Albus and Minerva for Lucius's death. While being totally unfair _is_ his M.O., everyone gets along happily (for the most part) in my fic. I like to keep it that way (and to wrap this fic up!).

foci: Enough holes for you this time? (Sorry, I _did _try to patch them...they just kept coming too fast.)


	17. Silver Birds

_Chapter Seventeen: Silver Birds_

A/N: I've decided to dedicate this fic to Flying Auk, my wonderful beta, who stuck with me through the entire trial of this story.I hope that you found the experience as rewarding as I did.

_

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_

When Albus awoke for the second time in half an hour to find Minerva staring fixedly at the ceiling he relinquished all hopes of a decent night's sleep and rolled on his side to face her. "Minerva?" he asked softly.

His wife turned her face away. "Go back to sleep Albus," she whispered. The faint quiver in her voice betrayed her.

"Only if you tell me what's bothering you," he replied quietly.

A half-choked sob was his only answer. Albus reached out to touch her shoulder gently, and then raised himself up to plant a small kiss just below Minerva's ear. Her eyes were glued shut and a slow tear tricked down her cheek. Albus kissed that away and continued to place small kisses around her face until her body relaxed and her eyes opened.

He brushed a stray lock of dark hair away from her face; tear-filled emerald eyes followed his every move. She gave him a watery smile; his in return was gentle. "Tell me what's wrong. Tell me what I can do."

The shadows that clouded her eyes at his words fled at his touch, and _his_ Minerva returned his gaze, battered but never beaten. "Nightmares," she said shortly, the tightly-controlled fear he sensed running around her mind underscoring her brave words. Albus offered a light kiss in thanks for her gift, brow furrowed as he thought furiously.

She already had too many potions in her body to take even Dreamless Sleep, lest it upset their magical balance, but he _was_ a master Legilimens. He could manipulate her dreams if he wished, but he shied away from the thought of entering her mind again so soon, even if only to protect her from herself. Half-a-dozen scenarios danced though his mind in moments, each more fantastical than the next until he finally seized on one so simple he was surprised it had not occurred to him earlier. _Real_…it had to be real. He concentrated for a moment, and then waved his hand. A bright silver bird shot out from his fingertips and through the wall, disappearing from sight.

"A messenger?" Minerva asked weakly.

Albus nodded. "Rest, love." He could see the questions in her eyes, but her exhaustion eventually won out and she slumped against his side, eyes half-closed as she clung to him. Albus closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, the door to their room opened quietly and Diana and Severus entered both looking haggard. At his side, Minerva stirred.

"Are you all right?" Albus asked Severus gently. _I am truly sorry for your loss, my boy._

There was a deep silence in the room for a long minute.

"I will be," the younger man replied finally. Severus's dark eyes met Albus's blue ones, and the elder man breathed a sigh of relief and renewal. _I know._

"Severus," Minerva called softly, pushing herself up to see him better with a great effort. "Are you—I mean—I…"

He offered her a small but genuine smile. "I'll be fine Minerva." She relaxed visibly at his words but did not move. Severus looked down at her with a hint of his old mischief in his eyes. "Now if you would please stop being such a bloody Gryffindor and returned to worrying about your _own _recovery, we might all get some sleep around here."

They watched as Minerva batted around his words for a moment, and then shot Severus a half-hearted glare. "_Slytherin._"

"Gryffindor," he returned, almost fondly. "Really Minerva, you ought to rest more. You're hardly much of an opponent when you don't sleep, and the Slytherin-Gryffindor match is next week. I want you fully awake to watch your precious cubs lose."

The glare that she leveled at him this time was full force. "Five galleons my cubs crush your snakes."

"Done," Severus replied immediately, "so long as you're well enough to attend the match or I win by default." She glared at him again, and this time, Albus joined her. Severus sighed and looked directly at Minerva. Her green eyes widened, teared slightly, and then she nodded and allowed herself to slide back onto the bed. She did not attempt to sleep but remained relaxed against his side.

Diana appeared thoroughly impressed and deeply touched. Severus turned to Albus. _Overly-sentimental Gryffindors, _he grumbled. _You don't pay me enough for this._

_Thank you, _Albus replied sincerely. Severus gave him a tiny nod and then retreated into the shadows.

"Diana," Albus whispered. His daughter stepped forward, a slight frown on her face.

"Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly. "Mum?"

"I'm fine," Minerva said reassuringly. Albus was both startled and unsurprised by the sudden strength in her voice, though she did not move from his side.

"Dad?" her daughter asked suspiciously, turning to him.

The men laughed. The women glared at them.

"Severus, do you have some of your Dreamless Sleep?" Albus inquired abruptly. Severus looked startled, but quickly Summoned a bottle and offered it to him. "No, just keep it," Albus said, handing the vial back to him.

Albus found himself the subject of more suspicious scrutiny. _What sort of scheming are you up to this time, old man?_

"I'd like for you both to stay here tonight, if you don't mind." Two pairs of startled eyes flew to him.

_The Dreamless Sleep is for me, isn't it? _

_Yes. _Severus had always possessed an extraordinarily quick mind.

_No! _

A faint smile graced Albus's lips. _And an extraordinarily quick temper to match_, he noted wryly. _Diana and I are more than capable of handling anything that makes it past those wards, _he told Severus._ You need the rest._

_Albus—_

_Consider it an order, if it will make you feel better, _Albus told the younger man kindly.

With a growl and a muttered oath, Severus turned away. Albus watched in amusement as the man cast another set of wards around the room, conjured a bed by the doorway, and sat down sulkily. Diana watched the proceedings with confusion and then a matching amusement. Minerva, too, seemed to be hiding a smile.

"Have my actions met with your satisfaction, _Headmaster?_" Snape growled.

"Perfectly, Severus," Albus replied blandly. "My entire family is sleeping the same room for the first time." His victorious smile stayed in his heart as Severus caught his breath and blinked rapidly. His wife and daughter were smiling broadly, and rather than face three beaming Dumbledores, Severus simply downed the potion in one gulp and lay down in bed. Moments later he was asleep.

"Dad," Diana reprimanded him lightly. "That wasn't very nice."

"But ultimately necessary. He would not have slept otherwise."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You should have been a Slytherin."

"I'm sure when he's done being angry with me, Severus will appreciate it too," Albus replied easily. _Diana._

_Yes, Dad? _He could sense her puzzlement.

_I said that I'd like both of you to sleep here tonight. Would you mind?_

_No, of course not. _Diana took out her wand and prepared to make herself another bed.

"No, not that way," he interrupted. Diana turned to him, puzzled. _Your mother's been having nightmares. Would you mind sleeping here, where she can see you? _he asked, gesturing towards Minerva's right side.

_But—_ Some measure of his own anxiety must have crept past his shields, for Diana's expression abruptly hardened. _What did he _do_ to Mum? You've never been this worried about her before…she's never had nightmares you couldn't chase away… _

_Diana, please—_

_No! _Diana's blue eyes burned in a way Albus was used to seeing in green. _I want to know. I _need _to know. Tell me._

Albus sighed. _He used a projection of me to interrogate her, Diana. _Her gasp, both mental and physical, shattered the silence of the room. _I need you here because he never knew about _you. _She can't have any Dreamless Sleep—there are too many potions in her system right now—and I won't violate her mind again if there's another option._

Diana swallowed silently. Albus observed his daughter quietly as she processed the information. He could still hear her thoughts, faint and tinged with a raging fury he had not known his daughter had the capability to possess. _I'll…I'll _kill_ him for this. That _bastard…_I'll…I'll…_

"Diana!" Albus said sharply. His daughter snapped her head around, her tear-filled, angry eyes meeting his. _Your mother needs her rest. Are you going to help her or not?_

Diana inhaled sharply, held her breath for a moment, and then released it slowly. Albus could _feel _her anger slipping away. _Yes, Father. _She turned away before he could respond and raised her wand. A few flicks, a twist, and a snap of her wand later and there were only two beds in the room—one for Severus, and an unusually large one against the wall. Diana transfigured her robes into pajamas and slipped into bed on the other side of Minerva.

"Diana? Are you all right?" Minerva asked softly.

Their daughter smiled at her mother warmly and snuggled as close as she dared. "I am now," she said honestly. "Go back to sleep Mum. We'll be right here," she said, glancing over at Albus and Severus, asleep across the doorway.

Minerva looked up at her, then at Albus, then over towards Severus and smiled.

Albus took her left hand. Diana took her right.

Then, together, they slept.

Tomorrow would come.

They would face the dawn together.

_finis_

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A/N: My most sincere thanks to everyone who reviewed this story for your support--hope you enjoyed reading! 

until next time,

Aurinko


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